A Curious Turn of Events
by katlou303
Summary: An AU fic splintering off from A Curious Kind of Atonement. Itachi gave Sakura a choice when she was twelve years old. She did not take it. But what if she did? What would change? It turns out... Everything. ItaSaku. Rated for swearing.
1. I go to seek a Great Perhaps

Before reading this story, please make sure to read up to chapter eight of A Curious Kind of Atonement, my other fanfiction :) It will really not make sense otherwise.

…And I feel like I'm giving homework.

* * *

"When Raban said you were in a warzone… do you know how worried I was? And I couldn't even come to your aid, couldn't set foot in that arena… I don't think I could live without knowing you were safe." He admitted.

His hand twitched into movement, but before he could complete the action, Raban cawed loudly from overhead, startling Sakura into moving backwards.

Her sensei hardly ever seemed to show emotion but now, in the gloom of the night and the crow's caws echoing throughout the street, his eyes flickered shut and his lips thinned.

"I just think you could be so much more," He said, the barest hint of frustration in his voice. He gestured with his hand at the village they stood in, the Hokages of the past staring down at them with carved stern eyes, "If you come with me, I will train you thoroughly. Your taijutsu will be flawless, your genjutsu without error. I have never offered another such an opportunity. You would be my companion, you would not have to die a tool."

"This is what I've always wanted to do, sensei. Be a shinobi."

"To follow Sasuke." He said quietly.

"At first, yeah," Sakura looked away, embarrassed, "But now I just want to make my family proud and be useful for my village. Leaving… leaving would change all of that."

"Are you really valued?" He suddenly put his hands on her shoulders, his eyes narrowed, "Do they see your worth, your potential? You told me that your sensei, Kakashi, does not train you as he does the others. That you felt neglected. You would be my only pupil. I would train you alone."

"My mother and –"

"Write them a letter, explain you have left of your own accord. Do not mention me. They will understand your leaving if you explain why."

"Team Seven," Sakura said firmly, looking stern, "I managed to become a genin and I have teammates –"

"Who will one day leave you behind. Genin teams don't last long. I don't mean to be hurtful, but the way this Kakashi-san neglects your training and favours the others will injure your progress as a ninja if you stay."

"Could I ever come back?" Sakura asked, hesitantly poking at a sore point.

Her sensei closed his eyes, "Perhaps. You would be questioned thoroughly, but if I train you… Yes, I imagine one day you could return."

"Stronger." Sakura mused, scraping the ground with her sandal and thinking hard. She imagined returning to Konoha with long hair, a bunch of cool techniques and mysterious sensei.

"Give me a day," She said, "I want a chance to say goodbye to everyone."

Her sensei gave her a rare smile, "I think that is the least I can do for you."

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"Um, Sasuke-kun," Sakura began her goodbyes the next day, hurrying to his side as he walked down the road, "I just wanted to let you know –"

"Can it wait?" Sasuke didn't even look at her, avoiding the people walking by with his smooth, innate grace.

The wind had a chilly bite to it that made her shiver before replying.

"Not really. Before I tell you that, um, could you tell me… am I good shinobi?"

Sasuke glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, "No. You don't train enough. You don't care enough. You spend too much time on your appearance and trying to get my attention. At this rate… you're worse than Naruto."

No hesitation. He didn't have to think about it for a second.

Sakura stopped walking for a second, her shock making her stumble, "Oh. I get it. Thanks, Sasuke-kun. I'm going to work much harder from now on. I'm going to be a better shinobi."

He kept walking, ignoring her words as though they meant nothing to him. Perhaps they didn't.

"You'll see." She muttered, eyes on his retreating back.

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Kakashi was easy to find, in his own apartment for once. He'd opened the door and, upon seeing her, waiting a beat before letting her in, clearly intrigued by her rare visit.

"So, what's the occasion?" He asked, casually splaying a hand over a book's spine in his bookcase.

"If you're trying to hide the title of one of your special novels, don't bother, you've already read them all in front of me." Sakura said disapprovingly.

Kakashi gave an awkward laugh, "Aha, um, not all of them."

"I came to ask you something. Why don't you teach me?"

He looked up at the ceiling, leaning against the bookcase. His flat was small and bare of character, save for the trashy, colourful novels displayed so prominently everywhere. He obviously never cleaned, a thick layer of dust covered the room they stood in. She spotted a picture of Team Seven and felt her stomach constrict in guilt.

"I had been informed I was, in fact, your sensei." Kakashi said carefully.

"Yeah, so have I," Sakura said, far more clumsily because she felt angry now and she didn't have Kakashi's years of experience at being a manipulative liar and being able to control her emotions like he so infuriatingly could, "My sensei. And it's funny because, I was so excited. So happy to finally be a genin, to have a team, a real proper sensei, to be able to learn something! But you haven't even tried to teach me! You make us wait hours for you to drag yourself out of bed so you can make us run laps or perform some equally useless task and I would be fine with that if you didn't insist on treating us differently! Sasuke is your real student, the only one you care about! Chidori, really? Special training for the chuunin exam? Where was my special training, when I was going into the Forest of Doom? Places where real ninja go to _kill_ untrained ninja like me! I could have… I could have died! Naruto and Sasuke were helpless and I had to save them and I couldn't! Do you have any idea what that felt like –"

"Yes." Kakashi said simply, "I am intimately aware with the feeling of being helpless when people I care about need me. I know that feeling well."

"Then why didn't you prepare me?"

"I have trained you –"

"Not like Sasuke! Not even like Naruto! Maybe I don't have Sharingan or even as much chakra as Naruto, but I should not be ignored! You shouldn't favour them over me! It's not fair! Now, I'm going to get stronger on my own. That's a promise." She said, squaring her shoulders and holding her head up high.

"Sakura, I –"

"Goodbye Kakashi."

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Leaving was hard. Knowing she'd come back one day made it easier. She left a long, detailed note for her mother and grandma to find, hoping they would understand. She quit her job as a genin and left as soon as possible, before anyone could find out and the ramifications of her choice hit. She didn't properly say goodbye to anyone.

Her sensei met her at the border and took her hand.

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Sakura leapt up and delivered two kicks, stumbling onto the ground through the second. She landed hard on her knees and felt tears well in her eyes at her failure. She breathed in the earthy scent of the forest, felt the dirt beneath her stinging palms, and clenched her fists.

Her sensei was watching.

She sniffed hard and smiled at him, standing back up. She jumped in the air, spinning around and kicking out twice, landing on her feet roughly.

She flashed him a triumphant grin.

He waved a hand, "Again."

She faltered – Kakashi would have said something encouraging – then hardened. Kakashi wouldn't bother to train her at all. He'd be busy with the boys. Her real sensei was the only one who wanted her to succeed as much as she did.

She leapt into the air, blocking out all sounds of the forest, the chirp of insects and Raban's caw, and twisted into two sharp, clean kicks.

She hit the ground running, already breaking into a set of kicks, flowing neatly into one technique then another.

She turned to her sensei, beaming proudly, panting.

He nodded but then said, "Once more. Quicker this time."

Sakura bit her lip, about to complain, then swallowed her words. She was here to learn, not question.

She leapt into the air.

Her sensei's mouth twitched into a small, approving smile.

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"Sign your name." Her sensei said, spreading the scroll out completely onto the oak table and pointing to a bare space.

Sakura took a deep breath and bit down on her thumb, hard. It stung viciously, but her sensei was shaking his head.

"You'll need more than that for your whole name," He sighed, "Use a kunai."

Sakura recoiled, looking down at her kunai holster with trepidation. She'd never used one against herself before… except for when she cut her hair off. She gave a strained smile, feeling like she understood something now.

Being a shinobi wasn't what she had expected. She'd thought it was memorising hand seals and calculating trajectories of throwing shuriken, but really, it was pain, sore muscles and hard, hard work.

She wiped her thumb and pulled out a kunai. After she dithered a bit, wondering where to cut and how deep it should be, she passed it to her sensei sheepishly.

He shook his head, but took the kunai. He gestured for her to give him her arm. She stretched her left arm out slowly, childishly worried, and he pushed her sleeve up gently.

After a second of deliberation, he pressed his thumb against her arm suddenly just as the kunai slid across her arm, too quickly for her to realise it had happened.

She gasped, but what little pain she felt died quickly, and she examined the shallow little cut, feeling illogically put-out and tricked.

Writing her name in her own blood was gross, but the thought of having a crow summon of her own was cool enough to negate the unpleasantness of the situation.

Her sensei guided her hand to the right of the scroll, her fingertips red, and made her press down firmly.

"There," He said, "That will last even after your death."

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"Sensei! Sensei!" Sakura ran up to him, excited, "Look what I taught myself! I watched Kurenai-sensei and thought her jutsu was cool, so look!"

She held a kunai and gestured for him to attack her.

He obliged her and slowly made to punch her. A cloud of blossoms issued from the chakra pulsing out of her hand and kunai and blocked his strike.

"Oh!" She cried when he pulled his fist back sharply, examining it with a frown, "Did it sting? I didn't mean to –"

"Good." He said tonelessly, showing her the red welt on the back of his hand, "I want you to hone that technique. It is balanced, offensive yet defensive. Next time you show it to me, I want the petals to be capable of inflicting greater wounds."

A few weeks after that day, Sakura came to him, breathless with anticipation. She had made sure only to come to him after she perfected the new technique.

"OK, watch." She instructed him, aiming her hands at the training dummy he'd set up ages ago.

She concentrated her chakra into her hands and closed her eyes, shaping the chakra with her will.

Her eyes snapped open and the newly formed blossoms shot out in a brutal stream, smacking straight into the wooden dummy.

There was a loud _crack_, and the dummy broke in half.

Sakura rubbed her head bashfully, "Um, normally I can knock it over –"

Her sensei bent down next to the dummy and examined the splintered wood with a look of interest.

"Well done." He closed his eyes, pushing himself back up with perfect grace. He left the room without another word, leaving her utterly speechless.

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She lowered herself down to the ground again, eyes squeezed shut. Her arms shook violently as they took the strain of her body.

"Up." Her sensei said.

She gritted her teeth and pushed upwards, trying to keep her feet fixed in place.

"Down."

She lowered herself down once more. Her arms gave in and her face smacked off the ground painfully. She struggled back up into a sitting position, spitting dirt and blood.

She wiped her face, looking up at her sensei hopefully, giving him an apologetic shrug.

"Again." He said.

"Sensei, I'm tired and I think I'm bleeding…" She wiped her face again, wincing at the look on his face.

He didn't need to repeat himself. The coldness of his expression spoke for him.

She got back into the push-up position her sensei had taught her, the one designed for kunoichi.

"Up." He said. She could feel his eyes digging into her back. She straightened her spine until it felt like it was on the brink of splintering, and held the position.

He waited a little longer than usual then said, "down."

Her elbows shook with the strain once more and her muscles were shrieking indignantly as she lowered herself down, but she did it anyway.

"You are steadily improving." Her sensei said quietly, "Half a second more than your previous personal best."

"Half a second is nothing." A deep frown twisted Sakura's brow, her arms aching.

"Half a second is everything," Her sensei corrected her, "Keep improving at this pace and I will have to intensify your training."

Sakura nearly groaned but caught herself grinning. Her sensei took her training seriously, so seriously she worried about his priorities sometimes, but it made her feel important and now, with a satisfying pain in her arms and a spine like steel, like a real ninja.

"Thank you, sensei." She said, pushing herself up and holding the position without having to be asked.

He looked away, the edges of his mouth curling upwards, and brushed the thin strands of hair out of his eyes.

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"We've done this before," Sakura panted, flexing her sore muscles. They were surrounded by trees but when they had approached a smooth one with a wide trunk she had guessed his intention, "You know I can walk up trees."

"Run to the top branches." He said, pointing up to the sky.

Sakura craned her neck to look at the very peak of the tree. It practically touched the clouds above. She felt dizzy just contemplating being that high up.

But she wasn't supposed to give up anymore. She sighed feelingly and steadied herself, her sensei watching all the while.

She took off, running at the trunk, already pumping chakra to her feet, and latched onto the tree's surface instantly, sprinting directly upwards.

It was somehow like running down a hill, feeling the momentum gather around you, energy sparking off your feet and making you stumble – her chakra practically shoved her up the tree as she stomped up the trunk, not stopping until some branches got in her path. Her hand shot out and she pulled herself up into the air, flipping forwards onto a branch.

She looked down and choked, all of the air leaving her lungs in one gasp – she was dizzyingly high up, high enough that the air actually felt _thinner_ and her sensei was a dark blur against the green of the grassy ground.

She looked up, fixing her chakra to glue her feet more firmly to the branch, and took in the sight before her.

The wood spread out as far as the eye could see, green leaves just turning golden in the late afternoon sunlight, the wind sending ripples through the treetops. The sky was vast and immense and somehow close yet far away, a shade of intense, beautiful blue. Suddenly feeling at ease with herself and her position, she raised her arms out wide and embraced the horizon.

Her sensei shouted something up. She strained her hearing as he repeated himself, _come down now._

A flicker of panic broke her serenity and she nearly stumbled at the thought of somehow jumping down that far, remembering Naruto's massive failure at not nearly falling to his death.

She hopped down a few branches and slid, chakra automatically mapping to her fingertips, down the trunk until she froze in place, feeling her grip loosening against her will.

"Just let go," Her sensei said, his voice clearer now that she had descended further. She took a risk and looked down, seeing his mouth shape the words _I'll catch you._

She took a deep breath and let go.

She didn't even have a second of falling, her stomach had no time to swoop in terror before her sensei's arms were around her and he was kicking off the tree and back down to the ground in precisely zero seconds.

He bent over, tucking his hand under the back of her knees to let her down gently, and said, "You alright?"

"No," She wriggled out of his arms, face aflame in embarrassment at her failure and their close proximity, "I am such a coward. I couldn't even climb down from a tree…"

"Not a coward," Her sensei shook his head, "It is sensible to know one's limits."

"You aren't just a normal shinobi, are you?" She asked, eyes narrowing. His face immediately cleared of all expression, the gentle, commiserating look gone. "Your speed is insane. I've studied records, you know, I've memorised the speeds of shinobi and I know exactly how fast you should be –"

"Sakura." His voice was flat and utterly devoid of emotion, "Stop."

She knew what he was saying. Stop digging before you hit something. He _wasn't _normal.

"Why did you tell me to let go? You clearly could have yanked me off the tree and had time to have nice cup of tea before hitting the ground." She said instead, because she had obviously left her survival instincts in Konoha.

A faint line appeared between his brows and his shoulders tightened, "I wanted to make sure you trusted me enough to catch you."

"Well," Sakura said, all earnest twelve year old genius, "Trust has to be earned, _sensei._ I'm sure you know all there is to know about me. I don't even know your name."

For a moment it looked like he was going to lose his temper but he just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, looking pained. "Give me time." He eventually said.

"OK, sensei," She said gently, "But I won't wait forever."

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It took a year for him to tell her his name.

He said it very quickly, looking deeply into her eyes, clearly searching for some kind of recognition.

_Itachi._

The name meant nothing to her.

By this time she's got new muscles and her stomach is impressively toned, enough so that she develops a habit of poking it every now and then and giggling gleefully. She's thirteen and painfully aware of hormones – something that had been an abstract concept found only in textbooks she'd scanned briefly and discarded due to boredom – and how they like to point out exactly how attractive her sensei is.

Itachi never really mentions an age or a birthday but lets it be known that he is old. _Too old_ goes unsaid but she hears it all the same.

They live out of hotels, mostly, and never go revisit an old place, but they do seem to stay where they are for longer each time. She realises one day that they are drifting further and further away from Konoha and she doesn't know how she feels about that.

She doesn't hear news of Team 7 at all – they're hardly famous, just a little genin team, but she still expects every town to be alight with gossip of dead teenagers from Konoha whenever they visit. It's her worst fear, that something bad will happen while she's gone – the strange mark on Sasuke's neck, the way Konoha seemed generally hostile to Naruto, Kakashi's loneliness. But then she remembers how little protection she provided when she was there and hardens her resolve. She's doing this for all of them, getting the training she so desperately needs so one day she can return and be able to keep them safe.

She's fast now, fast enough that the first bandits Itachi unleashes her on don't stand a chance. She feels like other people are slowed down somehow – _is this how it feels for Lee? –_ and that she's entered a new state of consciousness. Itachi called it hyperawareness. She can _feel_ when people are going to attack and she's now quick enough to counter in time.

He only ever lets her practice her skills on himself, dummies or criminals and they both agreed after her disastrous first kill that she should minimise her murder streak, so even bandits just get knocked on the head when she wants to end the fight.

When she first started sparring with Itachi she simply couldn't do anything against him, even with him holding back massively. He taught her basic punching techniques, holds and blocks, etc. and eventually she could start going through martial forms against him until every detail was burned into her brain. She knew that the easiest form _kick, twist, block, punch, feint kick, twist_ was one Itachi could counter without even having to think. After a while, she started making it up as she went along, compensating for her lack of strength with her light weight and speed, focusing on dodging and trying to disarm him.

Now she could spar with him simply, just a basic workout, but she knew he could kill her very easily. The thought never scared her. Kakashi could kill her. _Sasuke_ could kill her. Maybe even Naruto. You learned to live with your own mortality after being put in a few life or death situations.

She and Itachi had now lived together long enough for it to stop being awkward. She had never lived with anyone but her parents and to have a sort-of stranger see her undress was out of the question, so she preserved her modesty obsessively, putting up towels and sheets whenever there was no room to change away from his eyes – always politely averted, him radiating disinterest – and tried to learn to be OK with him having _absolutely no shame_ when it came to clothing standards.

When he came back from missions – and no, he never told her who gave him missions or what his job was – bleeding and tired, he thought nothing of taking his shirt off in front of her. Sometimes, if she was lucky, he had a ridiculously vile-looking wound on his chest or something that took her mind right off his abs, but most of the time he just ended up looking feral and like he needed a wash.

She usually handed him their medical supplies, heroically maintaining eye contact, or ran into another room (if there was one) and cursed her fate.

There was a man who sometimes visited, even though they had no fixed address, even though they always travelled under genjutsu. His name was Kisame and he had actual blue, scaly skin and razor-sharp teeth that he liked to display with his unsettling grins. Sakura knew he worked with Itachi and that he was dangerous – the fact that Itachi never left them alone together was telling enough. He mostly seemed curious about Sakura and, after she asked him a few nerdy questions about his fighting technique and how exactly his sword sucked up chakra, he even seemed to find her endearing.

Now Sakura sat on the edge of a hotel bed, proudly showing Kisame her favourite technique.

She opened her palm, willing hundreds of petals to come into being, swirling around her hand in a pink and purple blur. She turned her hand over and they immediately slowed, dancing in the air gently.

Kisame gave her a grin, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall, "Nice one, Saku-tan."

"She can use those to burn and wound," Itachi commented from where he was quietly and methodically removing mud and stones from the soles of his shoes, "The weakest concentration makes the skin bubble like acid, the strongest can melt flesh away completely."

Kisame looked interested at that, "Huh, not just a pretty face, eh? That take up a lot of chakra?"

"Sakura has perfect chakra control." Itachi spoke again, chipping away at some dried mud with a metal pick. If Sakura didn't know any better, she'd say the tone of his voice was proud.

Sakura just gave Kisame a sheepish grin, "I only learnt it at first because I thought it was pretty. Itachi persuaded me to make it more… um, lethal."

"That's his way." Kisame grunted, "Take something soft and sharpen it till stings."

Itachi had warned Sakura the first time she met Kisame not to tell him anything important – about her plans to go home one day, Itachi's pacifism, anything.

It made it difficult to talk to him most of the time.

"Well you aren't any different." She pointed out, grinning, "What's your motto again?"

"The weak are meat, the strong eat." Kisame bared his teeth, "It's my philosophy, sweetheart. I kill what I can, and kill what I can't."

"You are a logical fallacy." Sakura observed, but she said it fondly.

Itachi stayed silent for the rest of the conversation, but his eyes flicked from Kisame to Sakura throughout the night, the only sign of his concern. Itachi disliked her talking to people, mostly worried about what she'd give away. She had mentioned the need to socialise every now and then and he had looked at like she was in need of psychological help. She chatted with townspeople whenever possible, never saying anything incriminating, and enjoyed talking to Itachi for the most part, but she absolutely savoured her conversations with Kisame, who proved to be wittier than he looked and an incurable gossip.

"I want to be stronger," Sakura said when Kisame asked about her goals, "I'm gonna prove everyone who doubted me wrong."

Kisame winked at her then, "Knock 'em dead, kid. With Itachi as your mentor you should have no problem with a little mass murder."

It was said with the warmth of a shared joke, but Sakura didn't get it. She looked at her sensei in confusion and saw that he had abandoned his shoes.

"Kisame." He said warningly.

Kisame took one look at his partner's face and seemed to understand something instantly. He glanced at Sakura, his smile gone, "I see," He said evenly, "Sorry, Saku-tan. Ignore me."

But she couldn't.

What was she missing here?

* * *

HELLOOOOO and welcome to the long-awaited midquel/sequel/whateverthehellquel of A Curious Kind of Atonement.

Timeskip after this chapter :D :D

This story has only been planned in bits and pieces, so I absolutely do not know how it will end. I only know a few things, thus far. Updates might take a while or they may be alarmingly frequent, I dunno yet.

God I hope someone actually reads this fic, lol XD

Sakura chose Itachi.

Everything changes.

For one thing, Sakura's character isn't going to be all gloom and doom avenger rawr like she was in ACKA. She'll hopefully be perky and sweet, as in canon.

Sakura is not going to be insanely overpowered, I promise.

**Quick poll for fun: **Please give me suggestions on how you want the story to go. I have a basic guideline in my head but it's super rough and can be changed at any time.


	2. All salvation is temporary

"Alright, Hinata, check the crowd, see if the target's just disguised or something." Kiba whispered, eyes scanning the people around them, sniffing hard for the floral scent of the crime lord that had evaded them for the past three days.

Hinata borrowed Shino's dark glasses to hide her Byakugan.

She slowly swept her eyes over the crowd, making sure no one escaped her radar.

Something unusual caught her attention. It was not the crime lord, but… She focused on the area, frowning.

There! A flash of pink.

A girl of her own age, under heavy genjutsu to look like an average, brown-haired teen. But… Hinata's mouth fell open in shock. She could see through genjutsu, leaving her with the true image before her with the genjutsu like an afterimage layered over it.

"Hinata?" Shino whispered from her left. His fingers twitched anxiously, several beetles running over his knuckles.

"Sakura-san." Hinata said disbelievingly.

"_What_?" Kiba couldn't hide his shock, his head snapping round to study the crowd.

"She's hidden under genjutsu. She is with an older man, also disguised. He is tall, dark-haired… he looks like Sasuke-san. He is… exceptionally powerful…"

"What the hell…?" Kiba muttered, fangs bared, "She goes missing for four years and then… Does she look frightened at all? Is she under any other jutsu?"

"No, she's laughing. Can you see her, the short brunette girl near the takoyaki stand? She seems comfortable in the man's presence."

Shino's fingers twitched again, "I have left an insect on her shoulder. She won't notice it. We'll be able to track her that way."

"What should we do?" Kiba said, voice tense with anticipation for a fight, "Should we abandon the mission and approach her?"

"Kiba, you will go back to Konoha and inform the Hokage of our findings. Hinata and I will complete the mission." Shino said calmly, looking quietly confident in himself as always.

Hinata was aghast, "But, Naruto-kun… if he knew we saw Sakura-san and did nothing…"

"The mission comes first." Shino said firmly, "Sakura left by her own will and does not appear to be in any immediate danger. Furthermore, we have means of tracking her should she disappear again. Kiba, go now."

Kiba disliked taking orders from Shino, but clambered on top of Akamaru and shot off regardless, grumbling under his breath.

Hinata watched Sakura's happy, smiling face, saw her hand wrap around the strange man's arm, and felt a chill of foreboding.

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Umeko walked down the hall, feeling slightly self-conscious. The years she had lived in Konoha had not lifted the feeling of 'otherness,' that she was somehow still foreign and strange to the locals. She was aware her personality in particular made it difficult for her to fit in. It couldn't be helped. She was as stubborn and hard-headed as a rock, and just as smart as one, as her mother often said.

She was also good at getting herself hopelessly lost, having no sense of direction at all, a flaw not befitting a shinobi. Still, at least Konoha had all sorts of interesting and distinctive landmarks she could use to keep track of her position. Iwakagure was mostly desolate, rocky and barren of individuality. When she had first arrived in Konoha, pink blossom filled the air and she had been left in awe.

Umeko's only interesting feature were the eyes she had inherited from her mother. They were dark purple, like two plums. Her hair was mud-brown and thin. Her mother had often expressed her frustration with it, finding it impossible to style. Her mother had hair as dark as a raven's wing, thick and lustrous. She liked to tease it into ringlets. Umeko always pictured her mother with corkscrew curls trailing over her shoulders and down her back. Umeko liked to keep her hair pinned up in a loose bun. It was the only style that didn't make her mother's nose wrinkle in distaste and even after she left Iwa and her mother behind, the habit stuck.

As the leader of their clan, her mother inspired admiration and devotion in equal measures in her family. Yamaguchi Hitomi was well loved by her peers. Umeko was generally expected to be a smaller version of Hitomi. But she didn't suit the part. Her diplomatic skills were non-existent, she was too awkward and serious to make friends everywhere she went and her short, stout body looked ridiculous in a kimono.

Her new teammates had not been friendly at first. Naruto, in particular, had hated her on sight. He had claimed that she was trying to take 'Sakura-chan's' place and that she was not worthy of the position. Umeko had tried to explain that she was here as a favour to her mother and that she did not intend to take anyone's place, but Naruto would not listen.

But Naruto, at least, had eventually warmed up to her a little.

Sasuke seemed to despise her. He ignored her whenever possible and spoke harshly whenever she tried to speak with him.

At first, it had been a little lonely. Her new sensei, Kakashi, had soon quit after her arrival. She still didn't know why. She tried not to take it personally. The look in his eye when they had first met, and he was told she would be Haruno Sakura's replacement… Umeko had bowed, speaking of her hopes that they would get along, and he had left the room without a word.

The next sensei was frightening. She was a violent, uncouth woman with eerie abilities and strange ideas for training. Her name was Mitarashi Anko. She remained Team 7's sensei to this day. Out of the whole team, Anko was the only one who seemed to actually like Umeko.

Team 7 had received a summons from the Hokage. She knew Naruto and Sasuke were probably heading for the Kage's office together, whilst she quietly made her way on her own. She was filled with a sort of wistfulness, and looked out of the window at the green, leafy trees, imagining clouds of sakura blossom.

Umeko rounded a corner and promptly bumped into Hatake Kakashi, who was standing outside the Hokage's office.

"Oh!" Umeko flushed, "My apologies. I wasn't looking where I was going…"

"I can see that." Kakashi replied. He leant against the wall, "You been summoned by Tsunade?"

"Yes, it is apparently urgent."

"Well, so was I. I'm guessing this is a matter that involves all of Team 7, past…" He paused, closing his eye, "… and present members included."

Umeko gazed at him, breathless. It was the first time he had referred to her as part of the team –

"Even you, I guess." He looked at her coldly, sounding disdainful.

"You bullying my kid again?" Anko's voice cut through the suddenly stiff atmosphere. Umeko jumped as her sensei's hand hit her shoulder.

Kakashi held a book up to his eye and shrugged, scanning the pages nonchalantly.

"Anko-sensei," Umeko said respectfully, "Have you also –"

"Baa-chan, we're here!" Naruto suddenly announced, his voice loud and obnoxious as usual. He emerged around the corner, Sasuke trailing behind him.

He gave Umeko a tiny, half-hearted grin, then thumped Kakashi on the arm.

"Hey, bastard!" Naruto greeted him. 'Bastard' seemed to be his default term for Kakashi. It had been ever since he quit being a jounin sensei.

"Naruto." Kakashi replied, not looking up from his book.

Sasuke remained silent, looking at the floor.

"Looks like the gang's all here." Anko said, grinning, and knocked on the Hokage's door.

"Come in." Tsunade called.

Umeko shuffled in behind Sasuke and stood up straight, mentally repeating the discipline phrase of _my spine is stone_ that her mother had taught her to keep her still in her youth, when she was forced to stand during long meetings.

Inuzuka stood next to the Hokage, his dog-beast lying down next to him. Umeko eyed it nervously. She knew it was tame, but its size alone made it frightening… It yawned suddenly, revealing large teeth. She shuddered, forgetting her stony spine for a second.

"You all came quickly," Tsunade commented, seated behind her desk. Her pretty face was frowning, "I have news. Kiba, tell them what you know."

"We were out looking for our target," He began without preamble, addressing Naruto in particular, "When Hinata saw someone else. Sakura, with another man, both disguised under genjutsu."

Naruto sucked in a breath, shocked, his eyes bulging out. Sasuke stiffened, closing his eyes. Umeko saw his fists clench.

Kakashi's voice was quiet when he spoke up, "Sakura is alive, then?"

"Definitely. It was her for sure."

"Who was the man?" Anko asked, not smiling anymore.

Kiba shrugged. "Dunne. Hinata said he was tall, had dark hair and… oh yeah!" His eyes flicked over to Sasuke, "He looked like Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, blood red.

Kakashi was already murmuring, "It might not be him…" but Sasuke was charging forward, seizing Kiba by the shirt and dragging him forward.

"What did he look like? Tell me!" He snarled.

Akamaru gave a low growl.

"Sasuke!" Anko said sharply, "Calm down."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, looking bewildered.

Umeko felt at a loss herself. Who was the man who looked like Sasuke?

"It could be him, he could be with Sakura!" Sasuke snapped, "Don't tell me to calm down."

"Who is 'he'?" Umeko asked.

Sasuke glared at her, "My brother."

Naruto's forehead creased in confusion, "You have a brother? I thought your family…"

"Because of him. He… he is the one who murdered my clan." Sasuke was trembling all over, his hands shaking violently as though they wished to throttle someone.

"I see," Umeko said seriously, "So we are going on a rescue mission, then? How dangerous is this man?"

Sasuke gave her an incredulous look, "He massacred an entire clan of powerful shinobi. What do you think?"

She could think only of sakura blossom, and of Naruto's sad eyes, and spoke up, "I think we need to get your friend away from him, then, if he is so dangerous."

"Easier said than done." Kakashi sighed.

"Anko," Tsunade began, "Take your team to find Shino and Hinata. They can lead you to where Sakura is. I want you to carefully evaluate the situation, weigh up the risks and see if it's worth trying to retrieve her. I don't want anyone dying over this. Umeko and Anko, you are the only impartial members. I'm going to trust you two to keep the team grounded, to prevent any unnecessary risk-taking."

Umeko nodded. Anko made a face.

"I'm coming." Kakashi said. He had put his book away without her noticing. His eye looked solemn.

Tsunade looked sceptical, but nodded, "I thought as much. Be careful. The only one of you who is forbidden from –"

"I'm going." Sasuke said, a dark, ugly look on his face, "I don't care what you say. If you stop me I'll just leave on my own."

The Hokage glared at him, "I think you'll find you don't make the rules around here. If you go and I find out you risked the safety of others for the sake of your revenge, endangering Sakura's life or anyone else's, I will have your hitae-ate. This is an immensely serious matter, Sasuke. You are not strong enough to kill Itachi. Not yet. For now, be satisfied with rescuing Sakura from him."

Umeko watched the complicated emotions war across Sasuke's face – he clearly wanted his brother dead very badly, but he seemed conflicted by the presence of Sakura.

"Sakura-chan comes first," Naruto said to Sasuke, looking determined, "I won't let you get in the way."

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, "You're the one who'll be in the way."

"Before you go, you need to establish Sakura's position in all this," Tsunade said, "I don't think I ever met her, so I can't speak for her. Did she leave willingly? Did Itachi – if it is Itachi – kidnap her? If not, you may have difficulty getting her to leave him."

"Sakura wouldn't leave," Naruto declared passionately, "I said it from the start but no one believed me!"

Umeko imagined this Sakura girl living in captivity for four years and felt her resolve harden. If she could assist in this mission, she would do it without hesitation. She would prove her worth in this way.

"Why would he even want to kidnap her?" Anko asked, though her troubled look said she was thinking of a few reasons she didn't like.

"Perhaps he was aware of her affiliation with Sasuke." Umeko suggested.

Sasuke shook his head, "I can't predict anything that bastard would do. I never knew him at all."

"Regardless of whether she was willing or not, she may be the companion of a missing nin. We are duty-bound to retrieve her." Kakashi said.

Tsunade nodded.

"Well… Operation Retrieve Sakura has begun."

xxxxxxxx

After they helped Hinata and Shino out with their errant crime lord, they followed the trail Shino's insect led, Sasuke growing more and more tense with every step they travelled.

Kakashi was silent the whole time, not cracking any jokes or whipping out his brightly coloured books. Even Anko seemed slightly subdued.

Umeko walked behind Anko, dutifully following her footsteps. Her sensei back home had expected absolute respect, so she and the rest of her team had always walked at least two steps behind him. Anko loudly complained about how creepy it was the first time she did it, but she seemed to enjoy having a follower.

She was so focused on copying her sensei's footsteps that she nearly walked right into her back when the group halted suddenly.

Shino nodded to a small cabin on the outskirts of the village the crime lord dwelled in. "This is the place." He said quietly.

The cabin was in the middle of a large meadow, the mountains encircling the space, creeping ivy and dripping willow trees painting the picture with colour. Dark green leaves mingled with lime-coloured fruits Umeko didn't recognise hanging on trees, pink blotches of flowers broke up the grassy patches and there was a spring filled with crystal clear water next to the cabin.

"Genjutsu." Sasuke said, his Sharingan darting from the spring to the flowers.

Umeko was stunned to see the whole pretty scenery melt away as Sasuke broke the jutsu – the ivy and trees disappeared, the grass became yellow-green and burnt in places, there were no fruit or flowers left and the spring became a pond filled with algae.

"Clearly not to keep people away," Kakashi commented, looking around, "Looks like someone just wanted to make the place more attractive to look at."

Hinata's eyes suddenly bugged out. Umeko stared.

"Sakura-san is leaving the building. The man is not anywhere nearby." Hinata reported.

Naruto was practically buzzing with excitement at the prospect at seeing Sakura again. Sasuke kept his eyes on the cabin door, his stare intent and focused.

A teenage girl opened the door, a crow on her shoulder. She had long brown hair and a plain, honest-looking face.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto bellowed.

Umeko felt her carefully laid plans go to waste with that one, impulsive shout, and mourned them quietly.

The girl turned around, looking astounded. The crow took off, flying west.

Her appearance melted away into a short girl with pink hair and green eyes.

"It's really you!" Naruto shouted, tears in his eyes.

Sakura stared at them all, her expression dazed. She slowly looked over them all, seemingly drinking in the details.

Naruto darted forward, "It's alright, we've come to save you!"

He leapt backwards as a kunai sailed through the air and struck the ground between him and Sakura.

A man with long black hair tied back and thin lines under his eyes landed next to Sakura. His expression was so cold Umeko gave an involuntary shiver at the sight.

Sasuke made a guttural, animalistic noise, his chakra flaring up in short, enraged bursts.

"_**Itachi**_." He growled, his Sharingan whirring around, "I'll kill you!"

"Not today." Anko squeezed his arm, "Remember the priority?"

Sasuke shook her off with a snarl, his jaw clenched tightly. It looked as though he was struggling to stay where he was – his eyes were wide and staring and he was shaking from the adrenaline coursing through him. Anko stepped closer to him.

Shino held out his hand, letting an insect fly off his finger.

"How do you know Itachi?" Sakura asked, looking bewildered.

The man named Itachi was expressionless.

Umeko made eye contact with Naruto. He nodded, pointing up.

She slammed her hand on the ground, a black seal appearing beneath her palm.

The ground under Naruto's feet shot upwards sharply, propelling him into the air. Kakashi shouted something, sounding alarmed, but Naruto was already forming seals mid-air.

A hundred Narutos appeared in the air, hurtling towards Itachi, each one armed with a kunai and a furiously determined face. Umeko noted the real Naruto landing back on the ground, Kakashi's hand on his collar.

Itachi didn't move.

Sakura rose to meet the threat, raising her palms out. Thousands of cherry blossom petals swirled through the air, blinding the clones.

Umeko had half a second to wonder at the famed Haruno Sakura, the girl she was not good enough to replace, using such a pointlessly pretty jutsu, before it happened.

Sakura drew her hands apart sharply and the petals exploded at once, fire and smoke billowing out from the ruined clones.

They watched in grim silence as the smoke cleared to reveal a sky empty of clones.

Naruto stopped fighting against Kakashi's hold and stared dumbly at Sakura, looking confusedly hurt and betrayed.

"That's enough." Sakura said, closing her hands into fists, "I understand you may be angry at my leaving, but you have no right to attack Itachi for it!"

"You'd defend him?" Sasuke turned his red-eyed furious glare on his former teammate, who looked frustrated.

"I don't understand what's going on here," She replied, "But I'd defend him to the death, of course. He's my sensei."

Umeko barely caught Kakashi's flinch. She felt a flicker of sympathy towards the man, despite knowing how he would feel about her pitying him.

"Your what?" Naruto spat out, "What are you talking about?!"

A flash of purple crossed Umeko's peripheral vision – Hinata was subtly planting herself next to Naruto, close enough to comfort him with her presence and also close enough to defend him, if necessary.

What is this, Umeko thought, was Sakura an enemy? Were they going to have to fight the both of them?

Sasuke's control snapped.

He was certainly not Anko's favourite student by any means, being far too dry and boring for her tastes, but they were alike in many ways. They both shared the same curse seal. Anko had taken it on as her responsibility to teach him all she knew.

Hissing, biting snakes emerged from Sasuke's sleeve, and shot towards Itachi's face.

Sakura leapt in front of him and the snakes halted, Sasuke's face contorting –

She brushed aside the snakes with a single hand, wearing her petals like a glove. The snakes melted with a deafening clamour of hissing and spitting, finally erupting into smoke. Sasuke shook his sleeve, his face like thunder.

"Stop it!" Sakura demanded, but the adults seemed to have had enough of watching and waiting because Anko appeared next to her and grabbed the girl's right arm and twisted it behind her back as Kakashi covered her, facing Itachi down.

Itachi looked at Sakura, struggling angrily against the older woman's grip, and moved.

Anko lay on the ground, coughing blood, grimacing. Umeko's eyes simply couldn't trace what had happened, but Itachi was now holding a dagger dripping with blood and had Sakura by his side, a hand on her shoulder.

Itachi glanced at Anko on the ground, his hand beginning to move, but Umeko formed a seal quicker than she knew she was capable and the ground shifted, forming a protective dome over Anko's prone form.

He turned to look at her instead, those cold eyes digging into her, but she sank into the ground, avoiding his gaze.

She swam through the rock as easily as water, filtering the stone and mud away from her, forming a tunnel underground. She emerged inside the dome to find Anko winding a bandage around her middle, the white already stained with blood.

"Thanks." Anko said, uncharacteristically terse.

Umeko accepted the gratitude with a nod, listening to the vibrations through the earth.

"Sakura-san is still next to the Uchiha," She informed Anko, "But Kakashi seems to be quite close to them both without any danger, I think."

"Must be talking." Anko wiped the blood off her chin and stared through the rock, "Could use the Hyuuga girl right now."

"She's holding Naruto back. From what I can hear of his voice," Umeko listened out for his particular cadence, his voice thrumming through the earth angrily, "He seems to believe we need his help."

"Doesn't he always? Sodding hero complex. Let's go back up, give the brat a scare."

"You go up. I'm going to isolate Sakura-san." Umeko said, coldly determined. _I am stone_, she thought fiercely, _I am steady_. She was going to snatch the girl right from under the missing-nin's nose. Wait till her mother heard about that!

She made a tunnel for Anko to travel through, knowing the woman could easily get out on her own.

When it was just her in the dark dome, she breathed out, searching for Sakura's light steps and feminine voice.

_I'm sorry Kakashi,_ she said, her voice quiet under the earth, _I owe my sensei everything. I can't leave him._

Umeko pinpointed her location and shot through the ground with a quick hand seal, arm stretched out, fingers carving through rock.

Her hand emerged, seizing Sakura's ankle. She tugged her down through the earth, swallowing her shriek with dirt.

Before she could celebrate her victory, another hand plunged through the earth and grabbed Sakura by the shoulder, roughly yanking her out of the hole.

Umeko cursed silently as black eyes glared down at her. She heard Naruto roar something and sank deeper into the ground, grateful for the distraction. Her chakra was getting low. She pushed herself over to the side of her allies, Naruto standing with Hinata, Shino and Anko, and made a hole.

Anko bent down to let her out of the ground.

Umeko didn't bother to brush herself down, just blinked dust out of her eyes and took in the sight before her.

Kakashi was indeed near Sakura, his hands up in a placatory gesture, but Itachi was now holding onto her tightly, Umeko's hole next to them. Sasuke stood alone, seething with rage.

Her ears caught something from the ground.

Sasuke was tapping his foot in a particular rhythm. Shinobi code.

_Get me close to her._

No one else seemed to have noticed.

Well, she'd need to distract Itachi first, separate him and Sakura.

"I'm going to do something stupid." Umeko muttered to Anko.

"Don't die." She replied, eyes on Kakashi's back.

"I hate this jutsu." She said through gritted teeth, straining to shift the ground under Itachi's feet. He leapt away from the sudden quicksand, taking Sakura with him, but Umeko drove a spike of rock between them that, in the air, they had no choice but to separate to avoid.

Sasuke disappeared and reappeared in a flicker next to Sakura in the air, his hands on her shoulders, his Sharingan spinning. She stared back, wide-eyed and caught in his trap. They landed softly on the ground, not breaking eye contact.

Kakashi, Anko and Naruto formed a barrier between the two and Itachi, each one tense and ready for a fight.

But when Sakura started screaming, they didn't stand a chance.

There was loud bang and the three of them were sent flying in Itachi's wake as he sped towards Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto bellowed a warning. Umeko didn't have time to form any seals and froze in horror, mouth falling open when –

Itachi stopped, a hand on his left shoulder.

"Finally." Shino said.

Umeko stared at him.

"You have very poor chakra control." Shino said calmly, his glasses flashing in the sun, "It wasn't difficult to siphon off some chakra every time you used a technique. You are typically wasteful, you didn't notice the excess loss. If you try to use your Sharingan now, I fear the chakra expenditure might make you pass out."

It was more words than Umeko had ever heard him speak at once.

"If you had troubled yourself to use your Sharingan before, you would have noticed my kikaichū leeching your chakra much quicker."

Anko let out a bark of a laugh, hopping up from the ground as though unhurt, cheerfully ignoring the blood pouring from her head, "Jeez, well done kid. Making us all look bad."

Sakura had stopped screaming by this point, but Umeko could see tears shining faintly on her cheeks. What was Sasuke doing to her?

Itachi removed his hand from his shoulder, still expressionless. Umeko had no doubt he could take them on without his chakra, but she didn't doubt he would lose.

"I'll come back for her." He said with quiet confidence. He glanced at Sasuke, still holding Sakura by the shoulders and stuck in whatever jutsu he was working on. There was something about Itachi's expression that looked longing as he looked at them, "Keep her safe until then."

He disappeared, smoke unfurling from where he had stood.

Anko cursed a blue streak at his sudden departure but Kakashi's shoulders sagged in relief.

"Did you save your kikaichū before he left?" Umeko asked Shino worriedly.

His head turned towards her, his expression shielded completely by his hood and glasses. He held up a finger to show her a dark blue beetle nestling against his skin.

"Oh, good." She smiled, reaching over to give the beetle a stroke. His pale hand jerked away suddenly, to her surprise.

"We should let Sasuke know what happened." Shino said stiffly.

It was Naruto who shook Sasuke's shoulder gently, breaking the jutsu. He blinked slowly, his hands sliding off of Sakura's shoulders.

Sakura sank to the ground, fists on her knees. Umeko expected to see more tears but her eyes were as hard and sharp as diamonds, glinting with suppressed anger.

"What did you _do_ to her?" Naruto demanded.

"I showed her the truth. My memories of that night." Sasuke replied, his righteous anger having already died away. He just looked tired now, infinitely weary. He looked around the clearing, his face screwing up as he realised Itachi had disappeared.

"Sakura-san…" Hinata whispered, hands covering her mouth.

"Hey, it's OK." Naruto bent down and put a hand on her shoulder, "You'll be fine. You can come home now."

Sakura stayed on her knees, her eyes shadowed.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked worriedly, starting to walk towards the motionless girl.

Sakura raised one shaking hand and held it outstretched behind her. Thousands of petals poured from her palm in a violent stream and struck the cabin all at once. She flicked her wrist and Umeko flinched as the cabin imploded, wood and glass shattering beneath the force of Sakura's rage.

"_**ITACHI**_!" She howled, face twisted, "Tell me it's not true! I know you're still here, I know you!"

If Itachi truly remained close by, he stayed silent.

"I know you!" Sakura insisted, striking the ground with her fists. Her eyes remained dry, burning fiercely with rage, "It's all a lie," She glared up at Sasuke, "I don't believe you."

Sasuke raised his fist, Umeko horrified to see _tears _glinting in his eyes, and could only be restrained by Naruto hauling him back, as he yelled, "I was THERE! I saw him! I _know_ what he did!"

Naruto hugged him tightly, burying his face in his shoulder. Sasuke shuddered, clutching Naruto's arms. "Don't worry," Naruto said clearly, "We got her back and no one died. We did good."

Though Sasuke let out a loud scoff, his breathing began to settle down.

Sakura stayed on the ground, a tight frown creasing her pretty face. Umeko knelt down in front of her, wondering what to say.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked, her voice very small and cracked. She didn't look away from the ground.

"Yamaguchi Umeko," She replied, hesitant, "I took your place in Team 7 after you left."

Sakura's eyes rose to meet hers, apple green meeting plum purple, and _then_ she burst into tears.

* * *

Before anyone gets upset at not being able to see Itachi and Sakura's four years of living together, rest assured, there were be plenty of flashbacks :)

So! Sasuke did not leave Konoha. Itachi never came for Naruto. This was his first meeting with him since the massacre. I think he was very composed :D

Sakura was replaced by a nin from Iwa, Yamaguchi Umeko. Now she's back! What will come of this, I wonder?

Kakashi quit being a jounin sensei, and is quite bitter about how it all turned out. Anko is the new sensei of the team!

I'm sure there's plenty of other changes I've forgotten to mention :)

Sakura's perspective next chapter. Don't worry, no angsty vengeful Sakura in this fic!

Yes, she can make things blow up with petals. I like it :D

Umeko's techniques are standard Earth Release skills.

**Quick poll for fun: **Is there a book/movie/song/band/anything that changed your life?

I think mine is pretty standard – Harry Potter gave me my all-consuming love of fantasy.


	3. What you remember becomes what happened

Sakura remained silent the entire journey back. Naruto chattered in her ear excitedly for nearly an hour, but gave in when it became obvious she wasn't listening. She tried to ignore how close to tears he was after that. Hinata and Shino respected her enough to keep their distance, but the strange Umeko girl seemed to want to be her new best friend.

"When we heard you were in danger," Umeko said earnestly, "we came immediately. Naruto and Sasuke were very worried."

Sakura walked in silence, Naruto keeping her elbow in a loose hold, a formality of security at most. Whether his intent was to protect her or to prevent her from escaping, she did not know.

She had time to calm down on the way back. Time to adjust. She no longer felt like screaming or hunting Itachi down. She had willing left their little haven, because there was nothing left for her there now. She recognised that.

Every moment of suspicion she had ever felt now played back in her mind on an endless loop. She couldn't stop rehashing the events of the last few years in her mind, trying to see if she'd missed something. If the truth had been under her nose the whole time.

Sakura's gaze caught on Umeko's plain face. The girl kept quiet after Sakura never replied, her head down. The rest of Team 7 ignored her.

"How long did it take you to replace me?" Sakura asked, her voice hoarse. She was looking at Kakashi.

He held his hands up and shook his head, "Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with it. I quit before she joined."

"Would you prefer Team 7 being down to two members?" Anko asked.

"No. I just wanted to know how long."

"Not long enough." Sasuke said, not looking at her.

Umeko looked down at the ground, her shoulders lowered.

Anko bumped her shoulder against hers in a strange form of camaraderie.

xxxxxxxx

They didn't treat her like a prisoner. Not with Naruto, bright and fierce as always, snapping at every nin who looked their way.

"Sakura-chan's not a bad guy," Naruto snorted when Genma, a laidback shinobi with an oral fixation, tried to intervene as they passed through gate, "Leave her alone or I'll tell baa-chan!"

Genma raised an eyebrow at Kakashi, who only nodded in return, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder. Anko flashed him a quick grin and did the same. Sakura felt the eyes of Genma and the other man he was on patrol duty with, both of them examining her curiously. She didn't blame them, not really.

Naruto gave a great whoop as they entered Konoha, turning to Sakura with his trademark wide grin, "You're home! We did it!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Umeko smiled but looked pale under the amiable expression.

Sakura managed a smile for Naruto's benefit, which seemed to please him greatly.

"So," Kakashi drawled, cuffing her wrists together in one swift movement, his grip tight enough to break bone if she struggled, "I have orders to take you to see Tsunade right away. After that, you'll be interrogated, most likely. You won't be tortured. Tsunade wouldn't let that happen. All you have to do is stay quiet and comply with everything anyone asks of you. This could go very, very badly for you. I don't want that to happen."

Naruto's mouth opened and closed like a fish.

Sakura thought about struggling, thought about opening her hands to release a stream of petals into his face, but met Naruto's eye and couldn't go through with it.

"Of course," She said quietly, "You don't have to worry about me."

Umeko seemed distressed, "Kakashi-san, surely you do not have to physically restrain –"

"What kind of shinobi would I be," He replied curtly, "if I allowed her to walk freely in the village after being forcibly removed from the custody of a missing nin?"

"A merciful one." Umeko held his gaze, her brow puckered by her frown.

"Sakura is not complaining. Nor should you be." Kakashi didn't speak cruelly, Sakura thought, but Umeko recoiled as though slapped. The girl quickly glanced at Sakura's face and seemed to wilt.

"My apologies." She bowed her head in remorse.

"No need, kiddo," Anko said breezily, clipping Naruto over the head for no reason in particular, "C'mon, let's get this babysitting mission done, there's sake out there just screaming my name."

"It's nice to see you have your priorities sorted." Kakashi said lightly.

xxxxxxxx

Sakura stood before the new Hokage, a young woman she'd never met before, her hazel eyes thoroughly examining her form, the hard lines of her muscles, the callused palms and scarred flesh. The Hokage tightened her lips and her eyes rose to meet Sakura's.

"So." The woman said, using one pale finger to wipe a trace of lipstick from around her mouth, her posture utterly relaxed.

Sasuke and Naruto stood behind Sakura, Kakashi to her left, Anko to her right. Shino and Hinata had turned in their mission reports and gone home. Umeko was not permitted to join the meeting Tsunade had called upon hearing of Sakura's return.

"Haruno Sakura, right?" Tsunade tilted her head, her gaze assessing, "Missing for years, found in the company of a missing nin. A crisis, undoubtedly, the only thing that is in doubt is whether you are a victim…" She let the word hang in the air, crossing her arms until her breasts threatened to spill over, "…or an accomplice."

"She's definitely –" Naruto began eagerly, taking a step forward.

"Enough, Naruto." Tsunade said, not unkindly. Sakura heard him step back, grumbling under his breath.

The room was silent.

Sakura felt the room's occupants all staring at her, Sasuke's glare digging into her back in particular. Anko was chewing on a dango stick, looking pensive.

"I've read your file," Tsunade continued when Sakura did not immediately reply with a frantic confession, "It says that before you vanished, you gave several people reason to believe you were leaving soon."

She cleared her throat, holding up some papers, "Hatake Kakashi said," She began. Kakashi looked away, mask warping where he chewed his lip, "_Sakura and I had an argument before she disappeared. She told me she would 'get stronger on her own.' When she said goodbye, it sounded oddly final. It worried me enough that I went round her house, where her mother informed me Sakura had been making plans for when she moved out. The next thing I heard was that she was gone._"

Kakashi sighed.

"You two," Tsunade suddenly pointed at the boys behind Sakura, "Did she give you reason to believe she was leaving?"

Naruto's voice was hard, "No. She didn't."

_Liar_, Sakura thought, remembering the promise they had made. She ducked her head, hiding the tiniest of smiles.

"And you?"

Sasuke didn't even hesitate, "Sakura and I were never close," He drawled, "I think I'd recall her saying something like that out of the blue."

Tsunade chewed her lip, reflecting on what had been said.

"Regardless, she definitely had warning that she would be leaving soon. She left this letter for her mother," She waved a crinkled, worn piece of paper with faded writing on. Sakura made a reflexive movement, as though to grab it from her. She forced her twitching fingers back into a fist and stared straight ahead blankly, jaw clenched. Tsunade gave a thoughtful little hum.

"In it, she explicitly states that she is leaving. But I can't help but wonder… goodbyes are nice and sweet. An easy way to make it look as though a kidnap victim left willingly. The only reason no attempt was made to retrieve her was because she retired, she did not abscond. I always wondered if it wasn't a little too neat." Tsunade said, hazel eyes staring incessantly at Sakura's face. Sakura did not look back at her.

_As if, _she thought, amused. Itachi wasn't really the kidnapping sort. And even if he did want to kidnap someone, he'd just do it, he wouldn't fuss about leaving a trail or whatever.

She saw Anko nodding out of the corner of her eye.

"Four years," Tsunade said musingly, rubbing her mouth lightly, "In the company of a murderer. What could that do to a person, I wonder?"

"Itachi is not a murderer." Sakura said sternly.

Sasuke's growl was cut off by Naruto slinging his arm around his mouth, wrestling him back. Anko rolled her eyes and dragged him out of the room, shutting the door on his snarling face.

Tsunade grimaced, deep wrinkles forming at the corners of her mouth, "Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?" She pointed out reasonably.

"How about we get Sakura to tell her story from the start, no interruptions, and we draw our conclusions from there?" Kakashi said, hands in his pockets.

Tsunade looked at Sakura expectantly.

Sakura closed her eyes. Meeting Itachi for the first time. Learning how to walk up trees. Asking him his name. Deciding to trust him. How to explain any of it?

Sasuke had known Itachi's name before Sakura had said it. He had, and continued to, react badly at the sight or mention of him. She knew, of course, that someone had slaughtered Sasuke's entire family. She had simply never imagined it was his own brother.

Nor, that Sasuke would one day accuse Itachi of being that man.

Sasuke and Itachi shared more than a passing resemblance. Sakura remembered trusting Itachi on sight from the moment she met him. Could her feelings for Sasuke have influenced her opinion of a man who looked a lot like him?

Kisame had once said: 'With Itachi as your mentor you should have no problem with a little mass murder.'

That comment, was self-explanatory.

Itachi _had_ killed Sasuke's family. His own family. Sakura did the math lightning-fast in her head. Right before he met her for the first time.

Sakura opened her eyes.

"I've nothing to say." She said flatly.

Naruto made a sharp noise of protest.

"Uchiha Itachi," Tsunade leant forward in her chair, "murdered his own clan. His and Sasuke's parents. Do you understand that? Did he tell you?"

Sakura glared at the wall above Tsunade's head, remaining silent.

She just needed to _think_, to figure things out. She couldn't do that with everyone badgering her.

Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off instinctively, turning to face him. He gave her a wide-looked look, helplessly confused by it all. She gazed into his blue eyes for a while, committing them to memory, then turned back to Tsunade.

"My family," She said, "Are they alright?"

"They are healthy." Tsunade said, "I don't know more than that."

"I do," Kakashi offered, "Your mother worries about you. Other than that, she's doing well."

Sakura closed her eyes.

"I will cooperate in exchange for my connection with Itachi to not be revealed to the village, including my family." She said, clenching her fists and ignoring the stab of regret in her breast she felt, reasoning with herself that Itachi would not mind, no matter what she chose to do. He was that kind of man. Wasn't he?

"Done," Tsunade said crisply, "Just tell us what you know, and we will release a statement suggesting you were simply travelling in the years you were gone. You probably won't be charged with any crime anyway – that one over there would never shut up if you were." She jabbed a thumb at Naruto, grinning, but Sakura wasn't convinced.

No way was she going to be allowed to get away with this, to be allowed to return to her everyday life as though she'd done nothing wrong. Certainly not because of some 'influence' Naruto had over the Hokage. What game was this woman playing?

Her hazel eyes were shrewd and seemed to cut through any façade, demanding complete honesty.

"I met Itachi when I was six," She began, but Tsunade held up her hand to stop her.

"Bring the Uchiha kid back in," She motioned to Anko, "This is something he needs to hear, I think. Leave Umeko where she is."

Anko hauled Sasuke through the doorway, ignoring his angry protests.

Sakura took a deep breath, feeling even more uneasy with Sasuke's eyes on her, "He offered to teach me how to be a better ninja."

"Did you tell him about me." Sasuke said flatly, not asking. It seemed he knew the answer already.

"He never asked, not really," Sakura said hesitantly, "But I was… proud of you. I liked to boast about your achievements. He seemed interested in your grades and things. I remember he smiled once, when I told him you got first in the class for your aiming skills."

A spasm of pain flickered across Sasuke's face. Naruto shifted a little closer to him, his eyes solemnly intent on Sakura.

"He told me I should be kinder to Naruto." Sakura remembered. Naruto's mouth dropped open, "He said something about him already having enough to deal with without me being cruel to him."

Tsunade exchanged significant looks with the two jounin in the room.

"We used to meet in the Nara Forest," Sakura admitted, feeling this was safe to tell them, "He taught me how to climb trees with my chakra. Sometimes we just talked. It took him a long time to trust me completely, I think. He didn't tell me his name until I'd lived with him for a year."

"You left with him willingly." Tsunade prompted her.

"I refused at first. I didn't want to leave my friends, my family. I was worried we'd be doing criminal things. I didn't want to betray my village," She said, a sour twist to her lips, "I understand now, that I was right. Itachi told me to retire properly, so it was legal, and to write to my mother so she wouldn't worry. He gave me time to say goodbye to everyone, and then I met him at the border and we left. We lived in hotels for a while, whenever he needed to be in an area, that's where we'd stay. He got missions like any other nin. I don't know who he worked for," Sakura lied steadily, looking straight into Tsunade's eyes without a flicker, "He didn't like to talk about it."

"Does the name 'Akatsuki' mean anything to you?" Tsunade asked, eyes narrowing intently.

Sakura pretended to muse on the question, "…I don't know. He didn't say much and I've got a pretty good memory, so I _think_ I'd know if he ever mentioned that name."

"Why was he in Konoha, the day you first met?"

"I don't know," She replied honestly, "He got angry if I ever asked him personal questions. I don't even know where he was from."

"Yes you do," Kakashi corrected, his voice gentle, "He used to live here, didn't he?"

Sakura looked back at him, her shoulders slumping in defeat, "I guess so."

"'He got angry'?" Sasuke repeated, his expression strange, "Did he… did he ever hurt you?"

Sakura frowned at him, turning back to Tsunade to wait for the next proper question, but the woman simply gazed back at her, apparently wanting to hear her answer.

Her silence was seemingly answer enough. Naruto's mouth trembled. Kakashi didn't move a muscle, standing rigidly still. Anko grimaced. Sasuke's eyes flashed red.

"Sakura…" Tsunade said, her voice suddenly soft, comforting, "You know, there are people you can talk to about this –"

"No!" Sakura yelped, "No, he would _never_ hurt me, never!"

"He stayed in hotel rooms with you for four years," Tsunade said tentatively, "He is known to have slaughtered his own kin to test his strength. This is a dangerous, unpredictable man. And yet you say he did nothing?"

"_Nothing_." Sakura stressed, "He wouldn't dream of hurting me."

"Akatsuki members are not always rich," Tsunade said leadingly, "Surely there were times when he could not afford a room with more than one bed –"

"I'm not listening to this." Kakashi said abruptly, "And I don't think it's good for Sasuke, either."

"Go if you want," Sasuke replied, his gaze heated and his voice twisted with loathing, "I want to know _exactly_ what he did."

"He didn't do anything!" Sakura insisted, upset, "He wouldn't!"

Anko, to her surprise, moved over to her and gently, slowly, put her arm around her. "Hey, I get it," She whispered, "I believe you. But this isn't going to get easier for you if you clam up, OK? Just be as honest as possible and try to remember every detail. This is very important."

Sakura trembled.

"You want to know what he did?" She asked, addressing the whole room. Kakashi stopped on his way out. Tsunade leaned forward in her chair. Naruto looked away, biting his lip, but Anko's grip tightened on her waist encouragingly.

"Whenever it rained, he lent me his cloak," She began, her voice high and faltering, "He never let me go hungry. He listened to me when I needed to talk, he encouraged my dreams and made me feel like I could accomplish anything. When I had nightmares, he would wake me up and talk softly about himself, his likes and dislikes, for hours until I fell asleep again. Once, a thief managed to slice my side with a knife and I came back to the hotel, bleeding and already delirious from a fever. Itachi nursed me himself and never left my side. On my birthday, he would buy me my favourite food and we'd share it, even if he didn't like the taste, he'd eat it to make me happy. One year, he saved up and bought me a special kunai that was attuned to my chakra. I stayed with him for years and he never once laid a hand on me. He always treated me kindly, going above and beyond his duty to keep me safe, and always looked out for me the best he could. So. That was what he did."

Sasuke stared at her.

Tsunade frowned, looking thoughtful.

"First," She said, breaking the silence that had followed Sakura's rant, "You will have a chat with one of the Yamanaka clan. Then, it will be decided whether you may go home without any punishment, or if you need to be detained for your own safety, or others'."

"You said she probably wouldn't be charged for anything!" Naruto yelled, looking betrayed.

"Yes, and I've not said any differently, have I?" Tsunade sighed, "Like it or not, if evidence is found that Sakura has a soul as black as the dirt under your fingernails, we _will_ have to do something about it."

That quietened him, though he did frown at his fingers for a while.

xxxxxxxx

The Hokage stood gazing out of her window, the soft breeze playing with her hair. Her arms were folded.

"You sent for me, Hokage-sama?" Umeko said hesitantly, bowing rather pointlessly to the woman's back out of habit.

"Your mother has sent me many letters over the years," Tsunade said, as if in answer, "She has had to make do without her only daughter for so long, it is no wonder she wants you back so badly."

Umeko lowered her head. Her mother needed her back to begin her training to take over as the new head of the clan. She was not a sentimental woman. Their separation had not been a hardship for her, Umeko knew. For as long as Umeko stayed away, the less embarrassment she could cause. She still remembered her mother's face the day she spilled tea over a visiting clan leader's lap. No, her mother did not miss her as the Hokage imagined.

"She is a strong woman. We have that in common." Tsunade finally turned around, smirking, "When I found references to a delegate who had been involved with talks with the Sandaime, I pictured a mousy woman who just wanted to leech money and status out the proposed alliance between our villages. When I met her, she proved me wrong. She cares about keeping the peace. When I wrote to her four years ago and mentioned I needed a genin, she recommended you gladly. You have the unique position of being both a ninja of Iwa and Konoha. I have no delusions over where your loyalty lies, or indeed should lie. You have performed your duties here admirably, making every effort to foster peace and working hard to aid Team 7, but now, your mission is finally complete. You may go home."

Umeko just stood there, conscious that the Hokage believed she should be jumping up and down in joy. She could only imagine returning to Iwa, her failings weighing her down all the way. She had not managed to sway anyone to her cause. Her teammates hadn't become her new best friends, as she'd hoped. And she certainly hadn't become an excellent ninja, the way she had promised her mother she would.

"I – I'll write to my mother." Umeko said blankly, "Thank you very much, for the honour of this mission."

"Oh don't mention it," Tsunade said dismissively, "It's not a big deal."

xxxxxxxx

_The woman was tall and graceful-looking. Her hair was blue and pinned up. She wore dark eye make-up and the same cloak Itachi sometimes wore, black with red clouds._

"_Hello." Sakura smiled, sitting on the grass with her legs crossed in a patch of sunlight, her back warming up in the mid-morning sun._

_Itachi stood to the side, holding his elbows close to him, eyes on the woman's face._

"_Good morning," The woman said politely, raising her eyebrow almost imperceptibly at Itachi, "And who is this?"_

"_I already informed Leader-sama that I had taken a ward on." Itachi said quietly, a muscle in his jaw leaping. He was as tense as a coiled spring._

_The woman examined Sakura slowly, seeming in no hurry to finish her observation. Seconds passed. Sakura heard birds chirping in the trees and fought the urge to look, worried it might be rude to look away before the woman had finished._

"_Where did you find her?" The woman asked, "Does she have any family?"_

"_Konoha," Itachi said gruffly, "and no. She did have a mother, but she died shortly before I met her."_

_The woman looked sharply at Sakura, who stared back blandly, her expression mild and innocuous. _

_Itachi had already told her to consider her mother dead when talking to others and to not even mention her grandmother._

"_Why were you in Konoha?"_

"_I was there on Leader-sama's orders. You know what I was looking for."_

"_You didn't find it?"_

"_Not alone."_

"_I see. Is she trustworthy?"_

"_I know she is. I'm not going to tell her more than necessary. She has no issue with this."_

_The woman had very cold eyes, Sakura noted._

"_See that she doesn't become an issue, Itachi. In the meantime, keep her trained, teach her what you know. Our leader is always happy to welcome new members."_

"_Sakura will not have a place in the organisation," Itachi said sharply, "She is –"_

"_Our organisation does not allow for side-projects or charity cases," The woman said coolly, "She will become a burden if she does not pull her weight. What does Kisame think of this?"_

"_He was pleased."_

"_Good. Well, Sakura-san," The woman turned her eyes back upon Sakura's face, her expression slightly thawed, "My name is Konan. As long as you never threaten or hinder this organisation, you will be treated with respect by its members. Seeing as you are now a part of us, I see no reason to withhold basic information, considering Itachi's trust in you. You have just joined the ranks of _Akatsuki_, Sakura-san. Please take care of us."_

_She placed a hand on Sakura's forehead and muttered something. There was a flash of light that stung her eyes sharply, then she plummeted towards the floor like a stone, Itachi's arms already around her to drag her back towards the light._

Sakura opened her eyes.

Something was tapping her window quietly.

She slid out of bed soundlessly, listening carefully. She could hear nothing but the steady tapping and the wind rustling the trees outside.

She opened her window and retrieved the paper bird, her mouth twisting wryly in recognition. As soon as she touched it, the paper smoothed out and words became visible.

_Sakura-san. It is to my understanding you have been captured by Konoha. I have been reassured no harm will come to you there, as they consider you a victim. This letter, however, is not one to express my relief for your safety. It is a request for you to remain silent on all matters that you have encountered during your years in our organisation. If you do speak, we will know, and I would dislike my relief to become short-lived. Please stay safe, and silent._

_Konan._

Sakura finished reading the note, rested her forehead against the windowpane and muttered, "I won't say a word." The paper folded itself into a rose, the words vanishing before her eyes. She shut the window and looked out, blinking painfully as the sun struck her eyes squarely. She tucked the rose away in a drawer and sat back down on her bed to contemplate her situation.

Whenever she had a problem, she broke it down and objectively considered it from all angles. Equations with no right answer, a particularly tricky measuring of a trajectory, a riddle without any clues – she would not rest until she solved it. She remembered lying in bed at home and absorbing information from a textbook, obsessively writing notes until an answer formed in her mind that made sense.

Sasuke had given her time to absorb the information inside his jutsu. Itachi, younger, just like she remembered him, but this time with a blood-soaked sword and eyes to match. She had watched helplessly, screaming at Itachi to stop, begging him, her vision streaked in blood and viscera as the Uchiha clan fell before her. It was a memory, so he could not hear her. She could even see little Sasuke, his eyes streaming with horrified tears, close to wetting himself in terror. His brother the cause. She could see the real Sasuke, all grown up and so like Itachi in looks, his eyes fixed on his brother, his expression grim. If it were her… She thought of her mother, her grandmother, _if it were her_… She would never be able to watch it happen more than once. But Sasuke stared at the scene unfolding as though it were his duty to do so.

Sasuke claimed Itachi was his brother and the murderer of his clan.

But…

There were so many memories she had that disputed his claim, so many things she knew to be true that contradicted her new fears.

_One night, it rained so hard she feared the roof of the hotel would collapse under the collected weight of the raindrops. She and Itachi both agreed that while training in rainy conditions would definitely prove useful one day, neither of them were eager to do so, so they spent the day in the little suite Itachi's coin had bought for the week, Sakura practising her chakra control and Itachi meditating, the two of them enjoying the companionable silence._

_When it was time for bed, they both hunkered down in the single, Sakura encased in Itachi's arms so they could both fit. It was warm and safe and she slept better than usual, no nightmares. She woke at dawn, pinks and oranges creeping over the horizon, to find Itachi's fingers tracing the outline of her face, not touching, but hovering over her nose, eyes and mouth, as though he was drawing her likeness in the air. There was another blanket over Sakura that kept the two of them separate, a layer of material that made him just a mass of warmth behind her. The arms around her were sleeved and his hold was chaste, careful. She was sixteen and it hurt to be so close yet so far away in a manner it never used to. When she was a little younger, sharing beds or throwing him a towel was awkward but necessary. Now it felt like she was getting a glimpse of what she could never have._

_But still, she felt safe and warm with him next to her, his breathing steady and slow. She fancied she could hear his heartbeat too, as stable and predictable as him. She closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep._

A person like that just couldn't be evil. He wasn't capable of it.

She had told Tsunade and the others whatever she thought would satisfy them, offering them truth mixed with a little fabrication to make her story plausible. She had not been afraid when Ino's father had sat in front of her and smiled reassuringly.

Konan had been clever enough to know what to do to prevent information on Akatsuki leaving Sakura's head.

xxxxxxxx

In the golden light of the afternoon sunshine, Umeko spread out her belongings and began to methodically place them in suitable piles. The folded, unused silk dresses her mother had pointedly packed for her when she first left now lay on her bed, bathed in the light from her window. None of them were right for her, not even back then, a half-wild, awkward child. Silk could not clothe stone, she would think to herself, and usually feel better. As the years had gone by, she had outgrown the dresses and had never replaced them. Her mother would be furious. Perhaps she should quickly go out to the market and buy some replacements?

She glanced out of the window at the men hauling boxes of cargo onto wagons and gave a small, inaudible sigh. No. She would only buy the wrong sort of dress and have to face her mother's scorn as well as her wrath.

After the first few months in Konoha, she had packed her things up like she did now, only that time she did so with tears in her eyes and a heavy heart. She had been resigned to her failure, her teammates cold and unfriendly, her sensei quitting soon after she arrived, the villagers strange and often rude. That time, she had given up and flung her trunk back in her wardrobe, the stupid silk dresses spilling out onto the floor.

This time, she knew she had no choice.

She was only temporary, after all.

Sakura had returned and, although she did not seem happy about it, she was clearly there to stay. Her ordeal was over and her teammates would be thrilled to welcome her back.

Umeko sat on the bed and bent over, head in her hands.

She would have to lie to her mother. She pictured it, breathing shallowly into her palms, trying to stave off tears.

"I spent most of my time training with my teammates," She would say to her, "Naruto and Sasuke. We became good friends. I rarely had a minute to myself, I was so busy. We went on lots of missions together, and I did _so_ well, you would have been proud to see it. Konoha was nice and everyone there was friendly to me. You were right, they don't hate Iwa like everyone says they do. We're well-respected there. I had a great four years."

How could she possibly say that to her? Lying was not something she was good at. But then again, imagining the opposite was far less pleasant. Admitting she usually trained alone or with Anko, that Naruto and Sasuke barely tolerated her, that she often walked the streets of Konoha aimlessly because she had nothing to do, that she always seemed to screw up on every mission they went on, that everyone in Konoha either despised her or ignored her, that they spoke of Iwa like a curse… that the last four years were the loneliest of her life…

No. She couldn't do it.

She raised her head.

After a few minutes she had paper and an idea of what to write.

_Dear Mother,_

_The shinobi I was sent here to replace has returned. Normally in this case, my mission would be complete and I would be sent back to my village. However, the circumstances of her absence are more complicated than assumed – it involves a missing-nin, somehow – and she will not be allowed to resume her previous status straightaway. This means the team still needs me here. I wish I could return, but my duty requires me to stay. My sincere apologies, Mother._

_I know you want me to do the exercises every day, and I have whenever time permits, so do not worry. Today I practised pouring tea and receiving guests. I did well, I believe. I did not spill the tea and my guests seemed content enough._

_I hope this letter finds you well._

_I will see you another day, it seems._

_Umeko._

She finished the letter and rolled it up in her hands. She looked around the empty apartment, the only sounds the crickets chirping outside and the general babble from the crowds of people in the market.

She stood, resting her hands on the countertop. "I need to buy a kettle." She decided, glancing up and down the counter.

She rifled through her pocket, coins spilling into her hand from the worn purse she'd brought from Iwa, previously bulging from the money her mother had pressed onto her. She counted a few silvers out and gave a deep, heartfelt sigh.

Her emergency fund lay hidden beneath the rotten floorboards, but she dared not touch it in case something ever happened and she had real need of it.

She unpacked the tea set her mother had given her when she was ten and set it all up, deciding she would have to make do without the kettle.

She held the cup carefully, little finger splayed out underneath to keep it steady, and practised the motion of pouring. She giggled, feeling like a child at play.

The porcelain slipped through her fingers and shattered on the floor.

She gazed at it for a few long seconds, then burst into tears.

xxxxxxxx

Her mother had been overjoyed to see her. Sakura had explained she had been travelling when her old teammates had come across her and they'd all come back to Konoha together. She accepted the story without a flicker of suspicion or doubt, and immediately fixed her favourite meal.

Now, at night, Sakura sat and waited.

A crow sat beside her on the bed.

"You think he'll come tonight, do you?" Merle asked in her peculiar, chirping voice.

"I hope he does." Sakura whispered back.

"Whatever happens, you know I'm loyal to you and only you," Merle reminded her, "If he attacks, I'll tear his face off. Him and his clucking friend, I'll beat the feathers off of him."

"So quick to resort to violence," Sakura grinned, "I'm hoping you won't have to. If he does turn violent, leave Raban alone. He's an old crow."

"That he is!" Merle squawked with laughter, not noticing Sakura's desperate attempts to shush her.

"Haruno Merletta, if I have to remind you to keep it down one more time…" She chastised her. The crow shuffled on the bed, grooming her wings nonchalantly.

"That full name thing stopped scaring me when I was a hatchling," Merle informed her, "When you were an innocent little thing, too afraid to cut yourself for a seal!"

"Shut up, that was one time." Sakura glared at her.

Something tapped her window.

"Who is it?!" Merle rasped, dancing on the bed aggressively, "I'll peck their eyes out!"

Sakura shoved a pillow at her, ignoring her indignant squawk, and moved towards the window.

Raban's beak gleamed in the moonlight. She looked up. Itachi's silhouette was barely visible, watching her through the glass.

"Sakura?" Merle asked, "Friend or foe?"

Sakura's hand hovered over the window's latch.

"I don't know."

* * *

Whoopsie, super long chapter!

Merle is Sakura's very own crow summoning, first mentioned in the very first chapter :) She has delusions of grandeur and a particular enmity towards Raban.

Umeko is a droopy, sadsack sort of character. They are the best kinds, I think, because they have the most potential for character development :) This is what it's like, writing Umeko's perspective thus far: Mother. Mother mother mother. Kettle mother mother. Mother. Sakura. Mother. Just as fun to read as it was to write, I'm sure XD She'll get better, hopefully.

Sakura and Itachi need to have a little chat, methinks.

So everyone pretty much thinks Itachi's a paedophilic monster, which _may_ not help Sasuke's opinion of him…

There'll be more exploration of the ramifications of Sakura's return next chapter. Umeko should hopefully interact with characters who don't despise her soon.

Hope you liked this extra-long chapter! :D

**Quick poll for fun: **What song do you relate to most strongly?

No suggestions.

For example, if you've _ever_ been in a relationship, chances are Taylor Swift's written a song for you XD


	4. It's gonna hurt because it matters

Itachi's face was half in shadow from where the moonlight touched it, inclined towards the window. His eyelids were heavy, as though he was tired, just a gleam where his eye should be. From what she could see, it was black, not red. A neat triangle of darkness cut the shape of his cheekbone – he moved and the shadow moved with him, falling across the bridge of his nose, half-caressing his mouth.

He was close to her now, too close for comfort, close enough _to_ comfort, if that was what he wanted. His hand fluttered at her cheek, catching a few pink strands. She swallowed back a gasp, unsure of what exactly was driving her away, making her take steps backwards – fear?

His hand caught the curve of her cheekbone and stayed there, his thumb rubbing against the slight jut, the dip where skin met bone, his eyes so intent and still gleaming from the moonlight.

"I asked you to run away with me once," He said, the words barely there, his lips mouthing them quietly and she took comfort in the hope that this closeness, this moment, whatever it was, was unsettling him too.

His thumb kept gently stroking along her cheek, fingers hooked under her chin as though he was reassuring himself that she was still there, still real.

"You were going to say no. You changed your mind," He leant closer still, his gleaming eyes and wet mouth all she could see, "You must know what I've done by now. You must hate me. You shouldn't want to come back with me. But… can I change your mind?" The last few words were spoken softly into her ear, his fingers trembling just a little at her chin.

"This," Sakura managed to say, struggling with the white-hot fury that wanted to rise up, "is the cruellest thing you've ever done to me, sensei."

He jerked back, his eyes a fraction wider, licking his lips into a frown, "I don't understand –"

"Of course you don't." Sakura said tiredly, rubbing her face furiously where she could still feel the echo of his touch, "You don't feel the way I do. You don't suffer from the usual human indelicacies. You are a perfect, flawless man. You aren't even real, are you?" And now she was crying, her throat squeezing tight and hot tears begin to pour, "Everything – it was all pretend. My sensei was a lie. I was just a –"

"No." He said, dark and fierce, both hands now holding her head tight, his forehead brushing against hers as he moved. "No, it wasn't. I do care about you. How could I not?"

"Crueller still," She laughed, his thumbs brushing away her tears, "You don't care for me like I do you, Itachi, and that is why it hurts me when you act like this, like you feel the same as I do."

His thumbs halted. He even stopped breathing for a beat, his eyes wide and searching. Then the moment passed and he let out a breath, releasing her face.

"Don't think you can just whisper pleas in my ear and I'll do your bidding," Sakura said darkly, "_Why_ did you kill your family? Ha! As if I'd go off with you without having a seriously detailed, reasonable explanation for that! Do you really think I'm that stupid? No, don't answer that. Just tell me. Why did you do it?"

Itachi stayed silent.

"No one's given me a reason yet," Sakura continued on as though she hadn't paused in hope of a reply that never came, "Itachi killed his family, did he not tell you? Why did he do it, Sakura? Surely he must have told you. Weren't you important to him at all?"

Sakura's tears glittered in the pale light of the moon as they trembled, dancing on her eyelashes. She blinked, hard, and they were shed noiselessly. She hadn't cried much over the past few years. She couldn't help associating them with her past weakness. Even in the brief moments when the sadness became too much for her, when she cried to herself in bed, thinking of her mother, her friends, she still had Itachi to hold her hand as she did so, soothing the ache.

Itachi's hands clenched, but remained at his sides. Did he fear he had lost the right to comfort her?

"_Tell me_." She implored, staring into his eyes beseechingly.

Nothing.

She moved closer to him and he jerked backwards, suddenly skittish. She stared, incredulous.

"OK," She took a deep breath, struggling as her long buried quick temper flared up, "_Show me._ Show me your Sharingan."

The final proof.

Irrefutable evidence that he was an Uchiha, Sasuke's brother, and that he had been lying to her from the start.

But also, a perfect way for Sakura to prove her trust in him, by leaving herself defenceless. To stare into his eyes, completely vulnerable, at his mercy.

The only change in his expression was an infinitesimal flicker of movement at his mouth, his lip distorting as his teeth gently worried at the flesh. His eyes on her face felt like a hot, weighted presence.

"_Do it._" She dared, begged, her large green eyes trustingly gazing into his.

He surged forward suddenly, hands half-raising to her face, but something stopped him and he simply stood there, awkward in the wake of his aborted move, eyes still frustratingly black and normal.

"Sakura, I –"

"Don't talk to me if you aren't going to explain anything. Just show me."

Slowly, painfully slowly, as though he didn't want to spook her, black melted away bit by bit to reveal red.

Sakura sucked in a breath sharply, gaze caught by the weight of his beautiful eyes. Uchiha eyes. Just like Sasuke's, but edged with Itachi's distinctively long lashes.

It was true.

And with that, her last dim hope died down into nothing.

Itachi looked cautious, wary even, perhaps expecting her to strike out at him or cry.

"I'm sorry," He said, "I can't tell you anything."

"What did you tell Sasuke?"

"Excuse me?"

"What did you tell Sasuke, when he interrupted you killing your family? What excuse did you use?"

Itachi shifted, the shadows on his face rippling, "I said I wanted to measure my strength."

Sakura laughed harshly, then felt startled by her own response. Evidently Itachi felt the same, judging by his frown.

Merle and Raban shifted on her bed, feathers ruffling quietly.

"'I'm a pacifist, Sakura," She quoted, grinning mirthlessly, "Killing is wrong.' You know, I always wondered how someone who hated fighting so much could be so strong, but now I see. You did all your training in one night. Smart. Very practical of you, sensei. Do you remember telling me that killing people made you just like them? Well, what are you now? What did your family make you into?"

She leaned forward, whispering, "You can't fool me."

Itachi swallowed, scarlet eyes on her mouth.

"I saw Sasuke's memories. I saw you kill his parents. I saw how you tormented Sasuke. But I also saw you for four years. Four whole years in which you never behaved as you did on that night. You taught me to respect life and not to kill indiscriminately. You taught me killing is weakness, not strength. Strange that you would do that if you honestly killed them all for your own gain. Why not raise a bloodthirsty student to be of use to you? Why didn't you use me to hurt Sasuke? It comes down to two options, logically. One, you murdered your entire family overnight on a whim and simply chose to train a little girl to be as gentle as possible for unknown, probably illogical reasons, which would indicate some form of psychosis. I'm ruling that one out based on lack of evidence. Two, you did indeed kill your family, but for someone else. For your own gain? No. For their gain? Maybe. But why would you go so far as to murder your family for someone unknown party? Blackmail? Unlikely. Threats? Please. Money? You don't have any. Akatsuki? More likely. However, killing them all as a mission from that organisation would still require some kind of psychosis or at the very least, immorality. I also doubt Akatsuki recruited you as a core member from that age. But here's where I get stuck: _what did your family do that forced you to kill them?_ Why did you do it?"

Itachi couldn't seem to speak, so she continued.

"I always planned to return to Konoha. I wanted to get stronger, I have. I can protect my loved ones now. So it doesn't matter if you tell me why or not. I still won't go back with you. It doesn't matter if you killed them to measure your strength or if you had better reasons," Sakura lowered her voice, anger seeping into her previously calm voice, "You still killed them. You are the reason for Sasuke's pain, the sole reason. You lied to me for years and used me. And now, you won't even do me the courtesy of giving me a reason. So no, sensei, I won't go with you. I don't hate you. I don't think I ever could. But for now…"

Itachi's hands pressed against the wall, either side of her head. He looked down at her, his red eyes glowing in the darkness, his expression tight, yet inscrutable.

"Are you going to ask me to leave you behind?" He said dangerously, moving his face closer to hers.

Sakura ignored her traitorous heart pumping furiously at his proximity. "No. I don't have to ask, do I? You wouldn't kidnap me. You aren't like what they think you are. I've got you all figured out. Everything you've ever done for me has been in my best interests. You've never tried to hurt me. I'm not an idiot, Itachi."

Itachi leaned yet closer, "Did you mean what you said? Earlier…"

"That's what you're focusing on?" Sakura said incredulously, "_That?_ You'll talk about my feelings but you won't explain your part in eliminating yours and Sasuke's family?"

"There have been times," Itachi said, something silky and foreign coating his voice, making him lower his head and half-close his eyes, "That I have looked at you and wondered how I have not destroyed you yet. That something so pure and innocent should have anything to do with me… seems wrong. Everything I touch is warped, twisted or destroyed. I have been selfish. I should never have taken you away from your family, your life. Every day I could have done something…"

"Something." Sakura repeated flatly, looking unimpressed, "Sensei, I don't care what you think about yourself. You're wrong. Even you're wrong sometimes, you know. You aren't… _evil_ and selfish or whatever. You're kind. And you didn't take me away, thank you very much! I make my own decisions and take responsibility for them!"

"You don't understand," Itachi murmured, looking _tortured_, "You're so young, you couldn't possibly –"

"Shut up!" Sakura hissed, outraged, "I'm sixteen! I'm old enough to do all sorts of things!"

Itachi's shoulders shook, as though he was laughing silently. He moved back, running his hands through his hair, "Yes. Sixteen. I agree that you should stay here. It's for the best that you are separated from me, if only for a little while. I only want your happiness, Sakura. Sometimes I think that is the only thing I have ever truly wanted. You are a remarkable young woman."

"Don't start complimenting me," Sakura warned, "because compliments usually start goodbyes off, don't they? _You've been great but I've got to go._ It'll be difficult because I bet they'll watch me for a little while, just to make sure you don't try anything, but we can still see each other, I'm sure."

"Sakura," Itachi said, resting his head against his elbow, leaning on the wall, "You've never asked me what kind of organisation Akatsuki is."

"I'm sure I can guess," Sakura said primly, "You don't sit around making daisy chains, I bet. And yet you're a pacifist," She grinned suddenly, watching his eyes widen, "You'll have to tell me how you reconcile your job with your morals one day."

"With long showers," He replied, "And a lot of guilt."

"I'm sure it's necessary, for whatever reason you have."

"Sakura. I am a _missing-nin._"

"That isn't news to me, you know."

"I'm not… you shouldn't be so calm about this."

"What, would you rather I screamed a little? Threw things at you? What would that achieve? Sure, I'm mad as hell and curious, but I'm not going to push you. I've spent a long time with you. I respect your privacy."

"_I slaughtered my entire family._"

"Yeah, and the reasons you gave don't add up," Sakura said, her voice hardening, "Nothing you do now makes sense when you compare it with what you did then. One has to be a lie."

"What if it's this? What if the present me, the one you know, is the lie?"

"Then I'll devastated," Sakura said simply, "and you might kill me one day. Or worse."

"And you are fine with that uncertainty?"

"No. Because I am certain. I know you. I believe in you. And I'll figure it out," She winked, "Just give me a few days. I'll find out and then it won't matter that you didn't tell me. I'll know anyway. And all of this uncertainty, this doubt, will vanish."

"Things…" He sounded a little desperate, "Things don't always go how you imagine they will."

"Who's imagining?" She frowned, "I am plotting. There is a unique difference in definitions there."

"Oh, Sakura." He said hopelessly, because even he had off-days in which he talked down to her because he was a 'proper adult' and she was some half-formed one, like a mutant child crossed with an adult, and couldn't possibly have any common sense. OK, so she was a little angry with him.

"Shut up." She said again, pushing lightly at his chest. "You are not the only person in the world who can make impulsive decisions, OK? This is mine. I trust you, you big, lying murderer, and I know you trust me. So stop overcomplicating things with your stupid self-esteem. Or lack thereof."

"You didn't seem to trust me when you blew up our cabin."

"Permit me my brief moment of madness. Sasuke-kun had just shown me his memories of that night and there was some emotional transference. You really screwed him up, you know." She shifted on the spot.

"…I know." He replied, his tone resigned.

"I'll miss that cabin," Sakura said, smiling, "Lots of good memories there."

Itachi nodded, his eyes crinkling upwards, "Yes."

"Hey, sensei," Sakura said, her voice low and tense, "There was a thing you used to do. You would, like, trace my face with your fingers at night, but you wouldn't touch me. What was that about?"

Itachi's eyebrows twitched. He slowly, deliberately, curved a hand around her cheek, the sudden contact making her shiver.

"An exercise in self-control," He said simply, "something I am normally very skilled at."

"Self-control?" Sakura repeated, confused.

Itachi's palm was warm against her face.

"Normally." He whispered, ducking his head down once more, his fingers gently tilting her face upwards.

His thumb accidently swiped across her lip and she opened her mouth, startled, to say something, and he leapt backwards as though scalded.

"Eh, sensei?" She rubbed her mouth, curious at the tingling sensation in her flesh, "What happened?"

Itachi's hands disappeared into his pockets and he turned his face away.

"Taking advantage," He muttered, and shook his head, "I'm sorry."

"Taking advantage…" She continued, baffled, "…of my face?"

Itachi's shoulders slumped.

"Sixteen," Raban croaked, sounding oddly smug and knowing, "And rather sweetly naïve at that."

"I am _right here._" Sakura glared at him.

"I don't get it," Merle hopped closer to Raban, idly pecking at his wing, "Has no one ever given you the talk –"

Raban thrust his wing into her face, making her squawk in indignant rage.

"Sakura?" Her mother called, "Is your bedroom window open? I can hear crows."

"Oh, you're right. Sorry!" Sakura called back, "I'll close it now."

"Good. Lock it, too, OK? I worry about you, you have no concept of danger sometimes…"

"Mum, I'm a shinobi!" Sakura snapped.

"…I know." Her mother said absently, her bedroom door clicking shut behind her.

Throughout the brief conversation, Itachi had been tense, eyes darting from the window to the door.

"You should probably go," Sakura murmured, "She'd beat you with a broom if she caught you in here, even if you are a missing-nin. I don't even want to think what my grandmother would do to you. Probably chastise you about the length of your hair. I can see it now," She put on a tough granny voice, "Young man, you are prettier than my granddaughter! Have some pride! Cut that hair and stop painting your nails!"

Itachi examined his nails indifferently, but headed to the window all the same, clearly heeding her warning.

"I'll see you again." Sakura said firmly, sitting back down on her bed. Raban draped his wing over her cheek affectionately, then flapped over to Itachi's shoulder.

He stood there at the window, bathed in moonlight with a crow's wings for a collar, looking for all the world like a character from a storybook. He hadn't switched off his Sharingan, in fact, they spun slowly as he climbed out of the window onto the ledge.

"Sleep well," He said softly, "and have pleasant dreams."

Sakura felt drowsy, so she laid down her head upon her pillow, absently curving an arm around Merle, who stiffened but put up with it.

"Goodnight, Itachi." She said, closing her eyes.

A slight pause. She could hear the leaves rustling in the wind and the chirp of active insects.

She felt a pressure against her forehead, something warm and brief, somehow comforting, then sleep gripped her and she knew no more.

After Sakura slumped over, fast asleep and breathing evenly, Itachi moved away from her bed again.

Merle's sharp, beady eyes peered out from underneath Sakura's arm.

"If you hurt her," She said clearly, "I will peck out your eyes."

"Then, I leave her in your care, Merle-san." Itachi said mildly.

Merle croaked something rude and snuggled up to Sakura's cheek, enjoying her warmth. Itachi slipped out silently.

xxxxxxxx

Konoha had such lovely weather sometimes, Umeko thought, beaming to herself. The sky was cornflower blue and her bare arms felt wonderfully warm in the sun. Iwa's weather was usually stormy or just mild. She still found the sunny weather here refreshing.

She swung her shopping bags as she walked, smiling at those she passed.

I'm going to stay here, she thought, for as long as possible. I won't leave until I absolutely have to. I can't, not until I've achieved my mission. Iwa nin do not give up and they do not fail. There is only success.

So! She clenched her fist in determination, the plastic strap squeaking in her palm. She would begin with changing Konoha's view of Iwa. She would become more helpful to people, she decided. She would show them all that Iwa was a good village, with good people.

Someone sat on a bench under a large tree, still and silent in the warm shade. It was Aburame Shino, one of the nin who assisted in Operation Retrieve Sakura. His entire body was covered by his clothes, his eyes shaded by dark glasses. Umeko squeezed her bags, excited. She would begin her mission right now!

She approached him, her bags rustling quietly with every step. His head did not turn at her arrival. In fact, he hardly seemed to notice her presence.

"H-hello, Aburame-san," Umeko began, a little awkward, "If it is not too much trouble, may I join you?"

Shino's shoulders moved upwards as he took in a deep breath, then he slid over slightly to free up more room on the bench.

"It's… it's a very nice day, isn't it?" Umeko said brightly, "But I suppose you might be a little hot. Is it uncomfortable? I'm sure I have a portable fan on me somewhere…" She began to scramble through her pockets, bags pooled at her feet.

Shino gave a very slight chuckle.

"It is fine. I am not hot." He said succinctly.

"Oh, I didn't introduce myself before, on the mission, did I?" Umeko felt flustered at the sound of the amusement in his voice and her own worry of accidentally offending someone.

"You are Yamaguchi Umeko," Shino said crisply, "The replacement for Haruno Sakura, sent by Iwa as an olive branch."

"I am not an olive branch." Umeko replied, feeling oddly defensive, wondering if it was some local insult.

Shino's shoulders twitched.

"I suppose not. What were you shopping for?"

Umeko bent down, stomach meeting her thighs as she searched through the bags with a pleased grin.

"Well, I've needed a kettle for around four years," She explained, holding up the second-hand kettle with the wonky flower painted on the side, "But I was always worried about the extra expense."

Shino's head turned her way. He was silent for a beat, apparently staring from behind his glasses.

"You went to Yoshida's, didn't you?"

"Eh? Um, I believe that was the name of the shop…"

"It's trash," He said bluntly, "Yoshida only sells things he gets for free. You should have gone to the Kirijo's shop, near the Hyuuga residential area. They have cheap prices for good quality items."

Umeko looked at her kettle, aghast, "Really? Oh dear… he said it was cordless, but I wasn't sure how it worked… It took me so long to persuade myself to buy it, too! I lingered for hours!"

"Does your job not pay well?" Shino asked, a strangely superfluous question, considering he had the same job and presumably the same pay – oh. Sarcasm.

"No, it does, it does! I just worry," She confessed, "I worry about my expenses a lot. I'm always terrified of running out of money. I carry a list with me, with all of this month's allocated finances listed as well as the bills I have to pay and –"

Shino snapped his fingers at her, his hand outstretched.

"Ah! Yes, one moment!" She complied, retrieving a crumpled slip of paper and handing it to him.

Shino slumped on the bench, tilting his head up to read it.

After a while, he took a fine, expensive-looking fountain pen out and began to cross out words and replace numbers.

Umeko sat clutching the rest of her shopping as Shino methodically corrected her finances. Her expenses seemed to be falling whilst her spending money rose. She was left amazed by the speed of his pen, the lack of hesitation he displayed before amending a sum.

"Aburame-san… You seem to be awfully thrifty." She said admiringly, "I'm awful with money."

"Yes, you are." Shino said casually, "Did you know you currently have two separate pensions you do not need and yet have been faithfully paying into every month for the past two years?"

Umeko stared at him blankly.

"No?" She said, stunned.

"You'll need to cancel them. And you show an excess in your usage of water, whereas you do not seem to spend as much as one person requires for your average monthly grocery shopping. I have changed the apportionment of your expenditure as a result. I believe you will find yourself with more finances to worry over now."

He handed her the paper back, something in his demeanour like a smile.

"Th-thank you very much! That was very kind!"

Shino shrugged. "You will have to take that kettle back and buy a better one from Kirijo's. I will accompany you, if you don't mind."

Umeko bolted up from the bench, seizing her bags and turning to him with a wide, grateful grin, "Of course not! By all means, come with me!" She was doing it, she thought happily, _making friends!_

Shino paused, his hand drifting out, like a pale spider emerging from his sleeve.

A butterfly landed on his outstretched finger. Umeko stared, a girlish kind of glee seizing her at the sight of the beautiful insect.

Shino made an amused sound, moving his hand over to her face.

Umeko ghosted a fingertip over one fluttering wing, her face lighting up with a delighted beam.

Smoke curled around their ankles. Instant transportation, she thought automatically, turning. The butterfly flew away.

Kakashi stood behind her, hands in his pockets.

"Yo," He said, "Hokage wants us to have a meeting about Sakura's prospects. You have to be included, unfortunately."

His tone was resentful, hard.

Shino stiffened.

Umeko tightened her grip on her bags, broken kettle and all, but nodded.

"D-did she say why I was needed?"

"Something about Team 7 being reformed," Kakashi said pointedly, "With all three original members, I presume."

Umeko felt her throat tighten. Her eyes itched.

"Then I suppose… I must be going back to Iwa. To home." She said, trying not to crumple, trying to remain strong. _My spine is stone_, "It looks as though I don't need a kettle after all, Aburame-san. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

He rubbed his cloth-covered chin thoughtfully, "I wonder… It seems a waste."

"I'm sorry," She said again, mouth quivering, "I didn't mean to –"

"I meant," Shino raised his head, seemingly looking at both her and Kakashi, "It seems a waste of an exceptional shinobi, to toss her aside the moment the less reliable one returns."

"Sakura is not –" Kakashi began to say coolly, before Shino turned his back.

"I doubt either of us is qualified to say anything about Sakura's qualities, or lack thereof, considering her absence. However, I would consider it my place to assert my belief in Umeko's qualities, despite such a short acquaintance. I know which one I would choose." He said meaningfully, that hint of amusement back in his voice at Kakashi's irritated tut.

Umeko stared, cheeks warming up in the afternoon sun, the plastic straps cutting into her fingers.

* * *

I really do have nothing to say here! Bah. It's snowed again. I hate the cold. The Umeko Kettle Saga continues, this time with added Thrifty-Bitchy Shino :D He's a character I feel I can play with, considering his lack of screentime.

Team 7 in the next chapter. Maybe.

**Quick poll for fun: **What is your favourite anime besides Naruto, and why?

I think mine might be Kimi ni Todoke (No spoilers, please!). It's just so damn cute and heartwarming!


	5. To find a silver lining in the clouds

It was a thin-lipped, irritated Tsunade who ushered them into the room, a nervy Shizune at her heels. Kakashi strode in with his usual nonchalance. Umeko trailed after him.

Sakura stood in the middle of the room, in front of the desk. She did not turn around at the sound of their arrival. Naruto was bouncing on his toes by the window, close to vibrating with excitement. Anko was leaning against the desk, picking her teeth with an old, chewed dango stick.

Tsunade lowered herself into her seat with an impatient sigh, prodding some papers on the desk Shizune's way until she took them off her hands. The younger woman scanned the pages quickly.

"Team Seven," Tsunade began, "was formed by Kakashi. It was his first genin team. The original members are Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Umeko, Sakura's replacement, has proved to be competent, if somewhat hesitant, member of this squad. Anko has thrown herself into her teaching with admirable enthusiasm, and has, as a result, bumped Naruto and Sasuke's skills up to chuunin-level. In short, the new Team Seven has been improving lately. Sakura's return was unanticipated. Umeko has expressed an interest in staying in Konoha for longer than her mission states and I see no reason to not grant her wish. Therefore, Anko will remain Team Seven's squad leader. Umeko will no longer be considered Sakura's replacement, but an official member of Team Seven. Sasuke and Naruto remain as they are and…" Tsunade's hazel eyes trailed over Sakura, "…Kakashi will begin training Sakura. She will need to take the Chuunin Exam soon. She will begin completing D-rank missions and building her grade up in order to qualify for the entrance exam. That is all."

Kakashi slowly uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, his brows furrowed together, "Let me get this straight. Umeko, the _incompetent_ replacement who was only ever intended to stay until Sakura returned, has somehow wormed her way into Team Seven, replacing Sakura permanently, despite the fact that she is a foreign ninja and in line to inherit an entire clan – what… what could you possibly hope to gain from this? She will leave one day, probably soon –"

"Much like Sakura did," Tsunade nodded, "But with rather more notice, I assume. Genin teams are not established to last until death, Kakashi, you know that. You are crippled by your own desire to revive your old team so that you may feel less of a failure. Unfortunately for you, the village's needs must come before your own. If Umeko does indeed need to leave soon, I see no issue. Sakura will be trained by you to become a competent chuunin in her own right and, if there is ever a hole in Team Seven or another team, she will be allowed to fill it. I am being incredibly generous, in truth. Please do not try me further. They are all sixteen, old enough to begin thinking of their future careers beyond their old genin teams. I will not allow your blind stupidity to hold them back. You may leave, Kakashi. Shizune will brief you outside about the terms of Sakura's training."

Shizune held up the papers and jerked her head towards the door. Kakashi looked from Tsunade to Sakura, breathing heavily, his fists clenched. Sakura's face remained inclined towards the window, her expression the very picture of serenity.

Kakashi brushed past Umeko, ignoring her startled intake of breath. Anko idly twirled her dango stick between her fingers, then her hand shot forward, leaving the stick inches from Kakashi's cloth-covered throat.

"If this was a kunai," She murmured, grinning, "You'd be dead."

"Same here." Kakashi replied. Anko looked down to see his index finger and middle finger pressed against her side.

"Just so we understand each other." Anko said cheerily.

"I get it."

"I don't think you do." Anko leaned closer. Umeko watched the two of them anxiously, "You see, if you keep acting like an ass to my student, I will either be very good about it, above board, reasonable. I'll report you for cruelty, harassment, plenty of crap, right? But at least that'll be in the daytime, and you'll hear about it when it happens, safe and unharmed. Or, I could take the more fun route. I learned a few things, back with good ol' Oro. He taught me how to use a jutsu to slowly unwind the fabric of someone's mind, bit by bit, so they don't notice. Tweak a little internal logic here, screw up a memory or two there, and you have a severely paranoid, vulnerable little man, locked in his own mind, being attacked by his own guilt complex. I know which one I'd prefer. You'll be the one to decide though – how you treat Umeko, that is." Anko gave a slow, nasty smirk.

Kakashi gave her a measured look, his eyes narrowed, but then he simply left the room, Shizune in tow.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"I think he understands now." Anko chewed on the end of the dango stick, eyes narrowed. She ruffled Umeko's hair and gave her a small smile.

"So, Sakura. How do you feel about all this?" Tsunade asked, watching her carefully, "Having to retake the Chuunin exam, not being allowed to re-join Team Seven…"

"It's fair," Sakura said earnestly, "And it's far more than I deserve, considering where I've been these past few years."

Tsunade blinked.

"Well… good. You'll have to be assessed medically to see if you can be deemed fit to fight or not, then we'll ask you to display your skills for Kakashi to judge your ability. And Sakura," Tsunade's smile turned strangely sympathetic. There was something in her eyes that reminded Sakura of her mother. She shifted, discomfited, "When you have your medical check-up, they will have to check for signs of abuse."

Sakura stiffened, her hands scrambling into sweaty fists. No. She would not permit –

"Do you want to have the rest of this conversation in private?" Tsunade asked, her eyes still warmly maternal and compassionate.

Sakura felt a muscle in her jaw spasm and leap, and nodded, feeling strangely close to tears.

Tsunade jerked her head towards the door. Umeko and Anko immediately left, but Naruto and Sasuke trailed behind, the former looking uncertain, the latter expressionless.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto said, looking truly perplexed. Sasuke shoved his shoulder. He ricocheted off the doorframe and span around, ready to retaliate, but something in Sasuke's expression made him leave without a fuss.

Sasuke's hand twitched inches from Sakura's arm, but he curled his fingers into a fist and stared stubbornly ahead, avoiding her eyes, "I'm going to kill him one day." He said with quiet, assured certainty.

Sakura knew instinctively he was not talking about Naruto, and felt her stomach drop.

"I'd stop you." Sakura replied softly.

"We'll see if you could," Sasuke shrugged one shoulder carelessly, still not looking at her, "The dobe and I will be there to watch your training."

"If you kill him, you'd be killing me too."

"It'd be a kindness," Sasuke snarled, "After what he's done to you."

Sakura recoiled as if struck, shock stealing her next retort away, _he's not what you think he is._

"That's enough," Tsunade snapped, "Out, _now._"

Sasuke opened the door to leave and for a brief moment, Sakura heard a snatch of the conversation outside – "But what if he really did hurt Sakura-san in that way?" Umeko was saying, sounding distressed, "What should we do?"

Sasuke moved through the doorway and Sakura only heard half of his answering reply before he shut the door behind him, "I make him pay –"

Sakura found herself alone in the office, her fists still tightly clenched.

"He really thinks I'd be better off dead?" Sakura murmured, "Just for being with Itachi for a few years?"

"I imagine his life being spared didn't seem like a kindness back then," Tsunade said, "And he must be imagining the worst when it comes to your situation."

"He's wrong." Sakura said resolutely.

"You still need to be examined, Sakura. We have to be sure. I imagine from your side of things it seems unfair, a pointless humiliation, but consider all the other people who believe the same, not realising what they have actually suffered? I've seen a lot of patients convinced the same people who beat them black and blue couldn't help themselves. If I made exceptions for those people, would they thank me later?"

"I'm not like them," Sakura insisted, "He never touched me."

"So you claim," Tsunade said, eyes sharp now, "But have you considered that the Sharingan can sometimes be used to erase memories?"

Sakura stopped breathing.

"I'm sorry. I'll have someone escort you to the hospital. They'll treat you well, I promise."

xxxxxxxx

They gave her some standard-issue slippers and a thin gown that had to be fastened up at the back. She stood, shivering, in a white room. There was no description that fit it except for white – the walls and floor were the same bare colour, and there were no paintings or decorations to lighten up the clinical atmosphere.

Sakura shivered again, just in time for a doctor to enter the room.

"Hello there," The man said cheerfully, waving a gloved hand, "I'm Inoue Ryouta. Please call me Ryouta! I will not be the one examining you, I'm just here to ask some routine questions. Is that alright with you?"

Sakura gave a wary nod, sitting down in the chair he indicated.

"Well!" He began, flipping through a clipboard's papers, "It looks as though your last health check-up gave you a clean bill of health. Let's hope you can do it again!"

She found herself disliking his upbeat, cheery manner. It seemed a little forced. And she didn't like her health being made into a competition. She couldn't alter the results beyond what her body displayed, so how could she 'do it again?'

She sighed, wondering if she was being too harsh.

"Right! We'll start with a biggie. Oh, um, that means 'big question.' I get in trouble for my silly vocabulary all the time, I seem to confuse everyone except children," He coughed, "Here's the question. Have you suffered any severe injuries or illnesses in the past few years?"

"Yes." Sakura said.

"Could you elaborate?"

"I nearly died of blood loss once. I had an infection. I didn't die."

"Good, good," He said absently, "Anything else?"

"No."

"Good! Have you experienced any traumatic events over the last few years?"

Sakura gave him a look, eyebrow raised, "Not until recently."

"Could you describe this experience?"

"My entire life was ripped out from underneath me and revealed to be a lie," Sakura said tonelessly, "My companion turned out to be an S-ranked missing-nin who had murdered my friend's family."

Ryouta blinked and then began rapidly flipping through his notes.

"They… um. Your name isn't Akiyama Hikari, is it."

"No. I'm Haruno Sakura." Sakura replied, even more unimpressed with the thin man.

He flipped through the notes more frantically. "Oh. Here you are. I had the wrong page, I'm ever so sorry! I thought this was just a routine check-up! I was about to ask if you often suffered from headaches! Oh God."

Sakura surprised herself by giggling at his obvious embarrassment. He gave a wry smile.

"That explains why you kept looking at me like I was a moron," Ryouta scratched the back of his head, looking awkward, "I thought it was just, um, me being me. I'm really sorry, I've been working through the night and I'm beginning to see double, so…"

"I understand," Sakura said, "Did you have very different questions for me?"

"Oh, no. I just have to examine you, according to this bit of paper," He held it up to his face and squinted, "Um. Oh," He blushed, "No, I'll get a woman doctor f-for the second part. Is that OK with you?"

"Honestly? I'd rather I didn't have to be examined at all." Sakura sighed deeply.

Ryouta blinked at her again, "Oh, it must be awfully embarrassing. I know. I had to have – no I won't tell you that, you don't need to know. Sorry. I just, um. I'll look you over, if that's OK?"

He sounded so anxious that Sakura smiled at him, standing up. She would try to minimise the embarrassment for both of them, if possible.

"If you could just, um, l-lie down on that table for me, then I will begin, OK?"

Sakura nodded, complying without hesitation. The tension left his shoulders and he grinned, some of his easy cheerfulness coming back to him.

His hands glowed blue and he gently began to move them over Sakura's prone body, not touching her at all. This close, she noticed the bags under his eyes and the pale tinge to his skin. He looked completely exhausted, and she wondered if that might interfere with the results.

Once he had finished her front, he requested that she turn on her back, and he began the process anew. She felt the slightest tingling in her side, but it was over as soon as it began.

"Right!" He said, "I'm done. I cleared up a scar on your side, it could have caused poor blood flow. I think? I feel very odd all of a sudden. Do you mind if I just sit down –"

Sakura dove off the table as Ryouta pitched towards the floor, managing to grab his arm and hook her foot under his chest, preventing him from smacking his face off the floor.

"Well I guess your reflexes are fine," He slurred, offering her a winning smile despite looking ready to faint again, "I'm very tired right now."

"As professional as this is," Sakura rolled her eyes, "I think my examination's finished now, don't you?"

She helped him to his feet. He swayed slightly, then steadied himself, placing a hand against the wall, "Thank you. I'm awfully sorry, I've never done that at work before!"

"But you've done it elsewhere?" Sakura asked doubtfully.

"Oh yes, sometimes I just keel over when I walk home from work. Woke up to find a homeless man having an in-depth conversation with me and a nearby squirrel. Of course I had to invite him in for tea after –"

"That," Sakura paused meaningfully, "is the stupidest behaviour ever, coming from a doctor."

"Student nurse, actually," He gave a sheepish smile, "I wanted to be a medic, but then I might have to be on the battlefield and… well… I'd die."

"I wanted to be a medic once," Sakura smiled, remembering the vague thoughts she'd had as a child, "I liked the idea of healing."

Ryouta gave her an assessing look, "As it happens, from your file I'd say you are quite suited to being a medic. Why don't you give it a try?"

"I have to train up and start doing D-rank missions and then I have to take the Chuunin exam…" Sakura ran a hand through her hair, wincing as she tugged at a knot.

"I could teach you!" Ryouta suggested, beaming.

"You don't seem to have enough time to sleep, let alone teach me."

"No, I do, honestly! I just have to cover people's shifts a lot, but I would definitely have time to teach you. And it might give you an edge in the Exam!" His eyes crinkled up with his genuine smile, "Go on, be a medic on my behalf so that I might live vicariously through you."

Sakura laughed. Be a medic after all? She imagined it and couldn't help smiling. How Itachi would love this, if she used her talents for healing, not for hurting.

"Well," She said, rubbing her neck, "I'm not against the idea…"

xxxxxxxx

Umeko hadn't expected to be invited to watch Sakura's first training session, but Naruto and Anko had insisted. Sasuke hadn't been there at the time, so Umeko didn't know his opinion on her presence.

"As a rule," Kakashi said, casting an annoyed eye their way, "You shouldn't hang around training areas just to spectate, but I guess it's fine today."

"My students," Anko said, smiling, "My rules."

Kakashi blinked one eye slowly at her, failing to react to her teasing as usual. His eye fell on Umeko, sitting next to her, and he shook his head. Umeko felt her mouth tremble and sat up straight, _my spine is stone._

"Now that we're all here – even Umeko – we can begin."

They were in the training grounds, a mass of fields and forests to practice in. Team Seven sat on one of the benches, waiting for the training to begin.

Sakura cocked her head at Kakashi as he stepped towards her.

"What's your problem?" She asked, her voice carrying clear across the field. She had one hand on her hip, her brows raised in interest. Kakashi stopped short.

"Hmm?" He slouched, his hands reflexively heading for his pockets.

Umeko saw Sakura glance her way.

"You're very cranky today." She commented.

"I'm always cranky," Kakashi said, his eye curving up as he smiled, "I just hide it well."

Umeko's chest tightened. She tried to remember seeing Kakashi smile at her, and couldn't. Still, Anko always grinned at her, every day. Umeko stared at Sakura, seeing how fond Kakashi was of her, and began to examine the girl who she could not replace.

Sakura was pretty. She had a delicate kind of beauty. She was on the short side and seemed to be quite mild in temperament. Boys liked that, Umeko noted. Sakura wore a black shirt, hanging loose over her stomach, with a white vest underneath. She had taped her knuckles in preparation for the training. She wore black shorts, her legs bare and showing. Umeko imagined showing off her legs like that, and her shoulders shook in silent laughter. No way. From what she could see, Sakura had defined, light musculature. Her legs looked powerful. Not only that, but her stance was confident. She tossed her head back, squinting as the afternoon sunlight hit her eyes. Umeko sat back on the bench, feeling like she was fading away as this bright, beautiful girl came back to reclaim her life.

Sakura did not look like a girl who had been abused for four years.

She looked happy.

Umeko felt an unexpected stab of envy.

"Let's begin for real now. Destroy these training dummies as completely as possible." Kakashi indicated the wooden figures that came up to his chest, targets painted on their fronts.

Sakura eyed the figures. "OK. I guess everyone should probably move back at little."

They did as she said, though Kakashi and Anko stayed where they were. Naruto was grinning, completely at ease. Sasuke looked uncaring as always.

Sakura examined the figures closely. Umeko thought it looked as though she was muttering equations or measurements to herself. Sakura tapped one, looking satisfied at the hollow noise it made in response.

She carefully broke the top of a figure, leaving a circular, jagged hole in its head, then sprinkled some blossoms into it, leaving the others untouched.

"For the first one I'm going to go for precision." Sakura said idly, standing back, "A controlled explosion should do the trick."

Kakashi made a little approving sound in the back of his throat.

Sakura brought her hands together, palms pointing outwards and then, without any seals or warning, the figure exploded. Sakura's fingers curved inward, the fire and smoke becoming contained within her chakra. She closed her hands into fists and the explosion disappeared.

The figure was nothing more than smouldering ash on the ground, but the grass all around it and every other figure remained untouched.

"Now if I'm being pursued by multiple enemies and need to take them all down at once, a slightly sloppier technique." Sakura said, hands out again.

A massive cloud of cherry blossoms swarmed out, engulfing the figures and, with a hasty jerk of her fingers, they all exploded.

"Oh, we've drawn some attention with our little display." Anko commented, looking towards the west.

Umeko glanced over and saw Team 8 heading their way. Kiba looked jovial even at a distance. Hinata had her head down, her cheeks suffused with red. Shino followed the other two chuunin, gazing at the sky. Kurenai walked at the side, talking lowly, occasionally patting Akamaru on the head.

Sakura turned to see the new arrivals after smothering the explosion, something keen and eager lighting up her features at the sight of them.

Kakashi was examining the smouldering wreck with an amused nod.

"HEY!" Naruto suddenly burst out, "HINATA-CHAN! KIBA, YOU BASTARD, YOU! And Shino too I guess – HINATA-CHAN, HEY!"

Umeko saw Hinata's hands flutter anxiously at her chest now that she was closer. Kiba cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted back, "KEEP IT DOWN YOU NOISY BASTARD!"

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING, DOG-BREATH!"

"WHAT?!"

"YOU HEARD ME!"

"THE WHOLE VILLAGE HEARD YOU, MORON!"

"HEY, I –" Naruto began to retort indignantly. Sasuke slapped a hand over his mouth without even looking.

"For once in your life be quiet, dobe. You're giving me a headache." Sasuke said, smirking.

Naruto screeched some inaudible expletives beneath Sasuke's palm.

"Always the stealthy one," Sakura remarked wryly, shaking her head in amusement, "Guess some things never change."

"Yo!" Kiba said as they came into normal earshot, "We heard some wicked explosions. That was you, huh?"

Sakura shrugged.

"It's been a while," Kurenai said, her expression strange, "I hope you kept practicing your genjutsu."

Umeko wondered who had been told the truth of Sakura's absence, if Kurenai was making a dig at her association with Itachi or not, but Sakura did not seem to be angered by her comment at all.

"I did, Kurenai-sensei." She said respectfully.

How many teachers can one girl have? Umeko thought sullenly.

Shino walked around his teammates, his clothed head swivelling around. Umeko saw an insect land on one of the smoking figures. Did the Aburame clan instinctively seek data on every shinobi, then, or was Shino just overly cautious?

His head turned to face her. Anko gave him a glare, presumably expecting trouble – sometimes a citizen had a bone to pick with her because of Iwa – but Shino held up a hand in greeting.

Umeko returned the gesture, feeling oddly shy. His defence of her had rendered Kakashi speechless, something she was very grateful for.

"Umeko." He said quietly. Kiba's ears pricked up.

"Oi, Shino, you know her?" He stared at Umeko in interest. She gazed back mildly, her purple eyes tracing the interesting marks on his face.

"Somewhat." Shino replied.

"Aburame-san, thank you very much for your assistance yesterday." Umeko said, bowing deeply. Sasuke watched the exchange with atypical curiosity.

Shino shrugged, "It was no trouble. I have an issue with one-sided battles."

Kakashi was watching them closely.

"I-I meant the kettle!"

"So did I." Shino replied, something amused in his body language.

"Anyway," Kiba drawled, clearly growing bored of the conversation, "We heard Sakura was back in town and we thought we should all go out for –"

"Ramen!" Naruto cheered.

"Does it have to be ramen _again_, really?"

"Yes! I'd eat it every day if I could!"

"You shouldn't!"

"I didn't say I did!"

"I bet you do!"

"I don't!"

"That's because ramen is gross."

"TAKE THAT BACK – mmph!"

Sasuke gave a weary, long-suffering sigh, Naruto straining against his hand.

"You should come too." Shino said, pointing at Umeko.

"Me?" She asked, baffled. Anko yanked her against her side, scraping her knuckles against her scalp.

"Damn right you're coming!" Anko said gleefully.

Kiba gave Anko a dubious look, "Who invited you?"

Sakura watched the conversation with a small, melancholy smile, leaning her elbow on an intact training dummy. Umeko was struck by the idea that Sakura felt just as lonely as she did. Now she felt guilty.

The light of the day had started to fade, so the hard details of the evening like where to eat, when, etcetera, were sorted out quickly.

Umeko knew she was the only one who noticed Sakura staying behind with Kakashi. Shino was striding through the field, the grass coming up to his knees. Umeko stumbled on behind him, trying her best to keep up as the sun began to set, the insects' song quietening down.

* * *

HELLLOOOOOOOO! Nothing much to say here, in truth. I'm tired, I should be in bed, I need to hurry this up! :D

If you guys want to write me letters, PM me and I might just tell you the address! :) No, it's not my address, I'm not quite that silly. (If anyone actually does send me a letter, I will love you forever. FOR ETERNITY. WHICH IS A LONG TIME, OR SO I HEAR)

Kakashi's still being a buttmunch!

Umeko made a friend!

Sakura blows things up!

It's all going on here XD

**Quick poll for fun: **What is your favourite meal?

No suggestions.


	6. The town was paper but memories were not

After the noise of the group had faded into the distance, Sakura took a deep breath and rested her elbow on the last intact wooden figure. The light of the day was dimming, the colours of the sky becoming strained and washed-out. The sun rested behind a wall of fluffy, white clouds, its golden rays permeating through and bathing half of the field in soft light.

Kakashi took out a well-thumbed book, its cover lurid orange with a picture of a busty woman. Sakura recognised it immediately, and ducked her head to hide her smile. Some things would never change. Naruto would always be loud, Sasuke would always be quiet and Kakashi would remain a pervert till the end of time. It was a comforting thought.

Still, something about Kakashi had changed, clearly, and someone was suffering for it.

"I don't know Umeko that well," Sakura said casually, flicking the cover of his book and laughing at his scandalised tut, "So I don't know if she's anything more than what she seems. But to me, she _seems_ like a very nice girl who is absolutely terrified of you. Mind explaining that?"

Kakashi turned a page after a moment's hesitation, but his eyes stayed glued to the same sentence as he replied, "She isn't my student. She never was. If she's afraid of me, that's Anko's doing, not mine."

"Do you mind if I call that as a total lie?" Sakura gave him a cheeky grin. He sighed, exasperated. "Look, you don't like Umeko. You insult and belittle her whenever you get the chance. Why?"

"She's meek, quiet and desperate to please. She's weak, she's a liability to her team and she'll get them all killed one day. She comes from a village that I personally have fought against. I'm not the type to hold grudges, but I am the type to be suspicious when a village like Iwa sends a peacekeeper. The Hokage claims to be friends with her mother, but what does that prove? You can't blame me for being cautious."

"_Cautious_ is quietly keeping tabs on her for a few months. What you're doing is being cruel. Give me a reason for it."

Kakashi tugged at his mask. He closed his book. "I'm the reason you left the village with that man." He said hollowly, not looking at her, "I never taught you properly. I favoured the other two. I treated you poorly. I've regretted it to this day. Umeko… Umeko is a constant reminder of that failure. Of my loss."

"Loss? What, like it was some kind of –" Sakura began angrily, but Kakashi simply shook his head.

"No. I lost you, Sakura. We all did," Kakashi said frankly, spreading his palms outwards, the book disappearing somewhere in the recesses of his outfit, "and it was my fault. Then they wanted me to teach some other girl, with Tsunade stressing the delicacy of the situation, she was a political statement I was supposed to handle well, and all I wanted was to make sure you were alive. So I quit. I wanted to go find you, to be honest, but Tsunade saw through my 'retirement' ruse and forbade it. But from then on, every time I saw Team Seven without you, without me, I felt… Well. Not good. I took it out on Umeko. I still do, I guess. She's an easy target. She's too shy and courteous to call me out on my crap." Kakashi admitted, head down.

His body was stiff, unmoving, a sure sign he was trying not show his feelings. With that mask of his, Sakura was sure his friends and colleagues were used to reading the subtle signs of his body language to gauge his emotions, but she herself believed Kakashi hid his face for a reason and so did her best not to analyse the little she could see.

"And," He said quietly, almost too quiet to hear, "when I was younger, just made jounin, obsessed with the rules and cockier than Naruto and Sasuke put together, I had a friend called Obito. He died saving both me and our friend and I…" Kakashi's shoulders gave the slightest shake but Sakura tore her eyes away before he could betray himself, "I never got over it. We were fighting Iwa nin at the time. Even now, the accent brings back memories. I've never once allowed it to interfere with my work, but I didn't know if you were alive or not and… it felt like losing him all over again. You were the same age, an Iwa nin replaced you… It was difficult. I've never attacked an Iwa nin without being told to, and I've never wanted to hurt Umeko. It was never about revenge. It was about _guilt._"

"It's not about Iwa at all. Obito died to save _me. _He gave me his eye and my life. I should have known you were going to leave. I should have stopped you, I had my suspicions but I did _nothing –"_

Kakashi's rant was cut off by Sakura's arms encircling him. She pressed her face into his chest, feeling his body heat melt into hers.

"Really? You were obsessed with the rules?" Sakura smiled. She could feel his laughter vibrating through her and held him tighter. She pulled back, her hands on his shoulders, "Listen to me," She said seriously, "I retired. I left legally, without telling anyone. What could you have done? Nothing. Trust me. I was going to go with Itachi no matter what happened. I wanted to learn things you couldn't teach me."

"Or wouldn't." He added softly, his body slumping into hers.

"Or wouldn't," She agreed, "I'd make an angry speech here about how you never taught me properly, but I think you already know that. And you've felt guilty about it for too long. I confronted you before I left and I was pretty angry about it then, but I'm not anymore. Alright? So stop feeling guilty. And I am deeply, honestly sorry about your friend. I can't imagine the pain you must have felt… still, even today. But you've gotta do something for me to prove that you've changed, OK?"

"Anything," Kakashi said solemnly, "I understand how badly I've screwed up."

"You're going to apologise to Umeko," Sakura said slowly, meaningfully, "and you are going to make an effort to get to know her."

Kakashi stilled, then sighed, "It's the least I owe her. I've been a bastard. I've known it all along. It was hard not to know, every time Gai was around and I said something to Umeko he'd boom something about not 'pruning the flowers of Youth with one's mighty shears.' I've known him long enough to speak his language."

"A worthy skill." Sakura said gravely. Kakashi snorted.

"Ah, but I'm no good at apologies. I'll give it my best shot."

xxxxxxxx

Naruto and Kiba seemed to have bottomless stomachs. No matter how much ramen they shovelled down their throats, they still had enough room to gasp for another bowl, glaring at each other as they did so.

Umeko watched them closely, intensely curious.

They were sitting at a table, squeezed in next to each other, Naruto and Kiba sandwiched at one end, Hinata next to them, her face scarlet, Anko cheerfully scarfing down dango in the middle and on the other side, Umeko sat opposite Naruto, Shino next to her and Sasuke on his right.

Since she had never been in this restaurant before, Umeko took the time to examine it. The tables were all made from the same dark, polished wood, some chipped and worn with age. Lime green placemats and bowls decorated them, reserved tables marked with vases of flowers. Banners adorned the ceiling, functioning as a very long menu. Umeko found herself craning her neck in an attempt to read it all.

"So, Umeko," Naruto piped up, his chopsticks a blur as he expertly twirled noodles around, "What stuff do you eat in Iwa?"

The table's conversation quietened. Its occupants turned to stare in her direction.

It occurred to her that perhaps the residents of Konoha were just as curious about Iwa as she was about their village, so she plucked up the courage to answer Naruto, inwardly grateful for Kakashi's absence.

"Game, mostly," She replied, "Pheasants, and the like. Elk and buffalo. Seasoning is scarce, so it's quite a treat to have. My favourite meal, I'd have to say, is trout. Especially when I go down to the market early in the morning and it's all still fresh, just caught from the river…" She paused, the memories still suddenly present and tangible, the taste of trout on the tip of her tongue. Her eyes felt wet.

Shino's voice, so rarely heard, broke the silence like an explosion, "I enjoy winter melon, myself."

Umeko looked up from her lap, startled, to see him tilting his head in her direction.

"Sweet bean soup is the best," Anko said fervently, quite serious. She paused to nibble at her dango, "And this comes close second."

The table erupted with everyone declaring their favourite foods, Hinata's mumble of "cinnamon rolls are delicious," going unheard in the commotion.

Umeko gazed at Shino, unsure if she should thank him or not – what if the distraction he had provided was just a fortuitous coincidence?

He solved her problem once more by leaning in closer, a slice of pale skin above his glasses becoming visible, and muttering, "From what I hear of Iwa, it appears to be a very accomplished village. It is only natural to miss it." Then, with that comment made, he sat back up, straightening his glasses.

Normally, Umeko would accept the compliment with good grace and a stutter, but something drove her to honesty, "I prefer Konoha." She admitted, lacing her fingers together, a shamed flush across her cheeks.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her arm brushing against Shino's leg. He very gently extricated himself, separating the two of them with great care. She had felt his heat, though, a sort of confirmation that he was made of flesh and blood, just as she was, despite the heavy clothing covering almost every inch of his body.

He was silent for a moment, the faintest sound of an insect's chirp coming from his collar. "Truly?" He asked, a note of interest colouring his voice.

She nodded.

"Then you must stay." He said conclusively, sounding firm.

"I can't, I have to –"

"Umeko, can I have a word?" Kakashi appeared at the edge of the table, his voice the softest she'd ever heard it. Still, she jumped, and Shino's fingers twitched at his sides at the sudden appearance.

However, her mother had drummed manners into her from a young age, and she found herself saying, "Of course, one moment," and she half-stood up, knees meeting the table. She looked at Shino expectantly, waiting for him to move as Sasuke already had, but he sat still for half a minute, just looking at Kakashi.

Finally she could not stand it, and lightly touched his shoulder, "Aburame-san," she said earnestly, "could you –"

"Shino!" Kiba barked, "You deaf bastard. Get up!"

Shino's muscles tensed under Umeko's hand. She felt a tickle and drew back slightly, examining her palm. A beetle with iridescent wings was slowly making its way down towards her wrist. She was fascinated by its progression, missing Hinata's sudden scrutiny. Shino stood up abruptly, moving down the table, clearing enough space for her to leave.

Kakashi had waited patiently throughout all of this, not once snapping or making a barbed comment.

Umeko followed Shino, holding her hand up carefully to avoid knocking the beetle off.

Before she left with Kakashi, she held her hand out to Shino with a slightly shy smile. He touched her palm with only one finger and the little beetle seemed to sense it immediately, fluttering over to him quickly.

"Thank you." He said quietly, the beetle disappearing up his sleeve, "Most people kill them on sight."

xxxxxxxx

Sakura leaned against the wall of the ramen shop, musing on the changes in Konoha. The subtle differences did not surprise her. She had been gone for years, it was only natural a store or two would close, some would open and some would be knocked down all together. It was what had stayed the same that startled her. The same woman made the same rounds through the market, picking up the same groceries and going home via the same route as always. The scent of ramen cooking on the air. The familiar yet strange warm breeze that lifted the leaves of the trees overhead.

Overall, Konoha was… strange.

"Sakura?" A light, feminine voice called through a crowd of people, once, then again, more urgently, "Sakura!"

She took a step forward, confused and alert, her eyes flicking around – she did not recognise that voice.

The crowd surged forward and a pale, lithe figure broke through.

Sakura's stomach swooped in astonished recognition.

_Ino._

Tall, graceful in movement and older, not the twelve year old she remembered at all… but unmistakeably Ino, from her platinum blonde hair to her pale blue eyes.

"You bitch!" Ino aimed a half-hearted punch at her shoulder, her face screwed up in anger, "Where. Have. You. Been?" She punctuated every word with another punch to the same spot, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Sakura rolled her shoulder reflexively. It stung like hell, thanks to Ino's dainty little fist.

"Ino? It's really good to see you," Sakura began, hesitant but sincere.

"No! Don't start exchanging _pleasantries _with me Forehead, you've been missing for. Four. Years!"

Three more punches. Sakura bit her lip and sent a silent prayer to Itachi that he had taught her coping methods for pain.

"I wasn't _missing_," Sakura protested, "I quit and then I –"

"Went travelling, I know," Ino interrupted, her voice slow and dangerous, "Just like the Hokage told me over and over again. Just like your mother told me. Do you think I'm an idiot? Just because I don't have a freakishly oversized brain like you do, that doesn't mean you can fool me so easily!"

"I don't understand…"

"What twelve year old," Ino put her hands on her hips, looking scornful, "retires from being a _genin_ to go travelling _alone_ for _four years?_ No one, that's who, because your story's full of crap."

"Well, I did!"

Ino was about to snap a reply to that when something caught her attention. Sakura followed her gaze.

Naruto and Kiba were pressed against the window, making kissy faces at the two of them, looking grotesquely distorted through the glass.

Ino let out an involuntary snort.

Sakura couldn't help but snigger, "Idiots."

"I know right? Glad I've just got a lazy bum and a fatty on my team. Can't imagine having those two morons."

"Hey, Naruto's not so bad once you get to know him. And he shuts up."

"How would you know, you didn't stick around long enough to get to know him." Ino muttered, rolling her eyes.

Sakura could tell Ino would be a tough nut to crack. She was hurt, deeply, and it was going to be difficult to regain her trust. Especially given that she had no reason to actually trust Sakura at all, considering she was still lying to her.

"Oh, look!" Ino pointed, her face alight with glee, "Kakashi's tearing another strip off – um. Do you know about…?"

"Umeko? Yeah, she seems nice." Sakura said mildly. Kakashi and Umeko were both sat on a bench nearby, having a quiet conversation. Sakura couldn't fathom how Ino could assume Kakashi was insulting Umeko – the girl had a faint smile on her face, not the mournful, imploring expression Sakura had quickly grown used to seeing.

"Nice?" Ino seemed put out, "She's… she's a jumped-up little… you know they barely waited at all before they replaced you, it was –"

"Ino," Sakura said gently, "Umeko is _nice._ And _someone_ had to replace me."

"No they didn't," Ino replied, her voice brittle like fractured glass, "They should have had to replace you at all. You should have been here."

Sakura stared at the ground, her cheeks hot with shame. What could she say to defend herself? It was all true.

On the bench, Umeko said something that made Kakashi's shoulders shake with laughter.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said finally, "I'm really sorry I hurt you."

"Yeah? Me too. I waited for you to come home for so long… Did Naruto and Sasuke-kun tell you what they did? How they snuck out of the village and tried to track you down?"

Sakura could only shake her head numbly.

Ino's voice rose in anger, "They didn't get far. I saw them being brought back by a few chuunin and Naruto was _crying._ Do you understand what you did to them? To everyone who cared about you? Not that I ever did. I should never have forgiven you for stabbing me in the back over Sasuke-kun. Well, I take it back now."

And with that, Ino tossed her head and stalked off, the slight tremble of her shoulders the only giveaway of her true feelings.

Sakura headed back into the shop, unsteady on her feet.

Naruto was at the bar, a frog purse clutched in his hand. He waved at the owner, trying to get his attention.

Sakura came to a halt next to him. He treated her to a wide, guileless smile.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked, her voice nearly inaudible, "When I left… how did you react?"

He stilled, his grip on his purse slackening. He swallowed, then turned a bright grin on her again, "I was fine, Sakura-chan! I knew you'd come home, I was just jealous you were going travelling without me!"

Sakura's heart sank.

She touched his arm, "Naruto," she said, her voice reproving, "please."

He looked up at the light fixtures on the ceiling, blinking rapidly.

"What do you want me to say, Sakura-chan," He continued to stare upwards, his voice low and jarringly _older_ than her memories told her, "I don't want to upset you."

"I deserve it," She said bitterly, "I need to hear this."

Sasuke slid next to her, his face studiedly blank, "Don't be an idiot," He said tonelessly, "There's no point going over that stuff."

"Yeah, you're back now Sakura-chan!" Naruto declared.

"I should never," Sakura lightly hit the counter with both fists, her shoulder aching, "have left." The words were certain, firm and sincere. She meant it.

"He made you," Naruto said, whispering now, "_That guy._ He forced you."

Sasuke's eyes were sharp on her face, two dark daggers. She knew her face was expressionless, but the way he looked at her made her feel as though he could claw truth from one glance.

Sakura thought about all the time Itachi had given her to say goodbye. How he'd been the one to suggest writing her mother a letter. The slow process she had undertaken to retire. It was all planned and very much her choice. She'd had plenty of time and opportunity to back out.

And yet, she hadn't.

"I know," Sakura replied, lowering her eyes at Sasuke's swift intake of breath, "I know he did."

Naruto gave her a brief, one-armed hug. He was warm and smelt just like the restaurant around them. She hugged him back.

_I'm sorry, Itachi._

xxxxxxxx

That night, he came to her again.

Merle clawed a lampshade in agitation but stayed put when Sakura opened the window, clearly trusting her mistress' judgement. Which was good, since someone had to.

Itachi climbed in with perfect grace, Raban flying in after him.

Sakura heard her mother turn over in her sleep, murmuring something. If she could tell anyone the truth, it'd be her. There was nothing worse than facing her mother, close to tears with happiness at her daughter's return, and lying to her.

"Why are you here, Itachi?" Sakura asked simply. His red eyes darkened, presumably at her not calling him 'sensei.'

Itachi was wearing that cloak, the black one with red clouds. He shut the window behind him, the edges of his cloak swirling at his feet, and stepped fully into the room.

"I have been given orders." He said.

Sakura sat down on her bed, automatically stroking Raban when he fluttered next to her.

"Akatsuki want me to capture the Kyuubi." He said, matter-of-fact.

"The what?" Sakura's face creased in confusion.

"You don't know of the tailed beasts? At any rate, this one is here in Konoha."

"There's a beast in Konoha?" Sakura squeaked, all composure lost at the thought of some many-tailed… _thing_ lurking somewhere in the streets.

"I cannot tell you why," He said smoothly, "but I will not capture it. I will do my best to cripple the mission without Kisame realising."

"But it's a beast! In Konoha!"

"It's a boy," He replied mildly, "And in the wrong hands, he is a beast. It's sealed inside him, you see."

"And the wrong hands are Akatsuki?" Sakura asked, her eyes narrowing.

He nodded.

"Who is it?"

Itachi took a deep breath, red eyes flickering from her to the window.

"I will tell you, to protect you. His presence risks you –"

"Wait, do I know him?" Sakura was suspicious now. Her sensei had never looked more uncomfortable in all the years she had known him.

"It's Uzumaki Naruto." Itachi replied, watching her closely.

Sakura stopped stroking Raban.

Itachi ran a hand through his hair, turning away.

Naruto?

Sakura thought of him, his tanned, grinning face (the curious whisker marks she'd always wondered about), the bright blue eyes (how many times had she seen them flash red?) his surprising strength and growth (able to use chakra even after Hyuuga Neji made sure he couldn't, red, pulsing chakra that felt vile, choking, _evil)_ the way every generation before hers seemed to despise him, treating him like a monster, something _dangerous._ Like a _beast._

She buried her face in her hands, trying to breathe through the problem like an equation. I can solve this, she thought desperately. Naruto has a monster inside him and Akatsuki want him. Itachi doesn't want that to happen.

She leapt to her feet. "You knew all along!" She made to shove at his chest, he dodged all too easily and she snarled, furious, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't." He said resignedly.

"Does Naruto know about it?" She felt sick. There was no way Naruto would be able to keep a secret like that for so long. He must be completely unaware of his situation. The unknown danger he was facing.

"I can't imagine how he wouldn't."

"But he's in danger! Akatsuki will –"

Itachi's eyes flashed, "Sakura, you will not interfere. I told you this so you would know not to be alone with him. You will not speak to him about this, and you will not –"

"I will not?" Sakura repeated quietly. Itachi fell silent, "Yeah, I didn't think so. Naruto is my friend. If there are people as strong as you after him, if _you_ are after him, I will protect him."

Itachi stepped closer, actually looking _angry_ for once, "Sakura, this is serious. I won't let you get hurt."

"I appreciate that you care, sensei, but –"

"I don't think you do." Itachi dipped his head, brushing his lips along her cheekbone.

* * *

The reason why I haven't really been updating lately is because I have had sooooo much work to do, it was fucking awful! I literally woke up every morning, grabbed my laptop, started to work and stayed like that for the rest of the day for about two weeks. It got to the point where _anything_ seemed like a better option. Dipping my body in acid seemed like more fun.

But it's all done now! Muahahahahaha! I'm so thrilled that it's over :D I don't have to go back to uni until about September-October, so guess who's gonna be updating a lot more? Me, that's who! (Future Me, please don't make me eat those words)

I've also been obsessively playing both Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. I FUCKING LOVE BATMAN. I love playing as him, it's the coolest effing thing ever! Makes me wish I was an athletic billionaire with hundreds of cool gadgets and a luscious arse packed in spandex.

The Umeko-Kakashi chatfest may appear in the other fic, A Curious Kind of Goodbye, where I might squish everything I can't fit here.

Itachi you broke the first rule of Fight Club, you big dummy. DON'T TELL A JINCHUURIKI'S BEST FRIEND THAT HE'S A JINCHUURIKI AND AKATSUKI ARE AFTER HIM. C'mon man, it's pretty clear.

Shino and Umeko are exploding all over this story and I can't stop them. Get off! Go away little plotbunnies, shoo!

Ino is marginally annoyed.

Naruto and Kiba like to make faces through windows at their friends.

Anko really likes sweet bean soup and Hinata thinks cinnamon rolls are delicious.

Sasuke sits in absolute silence and suffers through social engagements.

Last night I dreamed I was legit dying of blood loss, I was in hospital and everything. It was a really long, fairly realistic dream. I even had an operation and conversations with the family and friends and everything. I woke up in my own room and nearly fell out of bed.

My dreams are almost always long, complicated and have plot twists and foreshadowing. I once dreamed I had uncovered a terrorist plot in my local supermarket involving icing sugar. The dude took me hostage and I was only slightly exasperated, like, oh well done Katie you bloody idiot, this could only happen to you. I can't remember how, but in the same dream there was a killer whale involved.

My mind is a terrifying place.

**Quick poll for fun: **Tell me your best/worst/weirdest/most epic dream!

Mr Sandman, bring me a dream!

(oh I forgot, Itachi totally laid a smacker on Sakura's face, like whoa)


	7. But it is the nature of stars to cross

Itachi did not withdraw immediately as she would have expected of him, leaving the kiss entirely chaste, but instead followed the line of her jaw, pressing feather-light kisses upon her skin. She shivered. His hands came to settle on her shoulders. The little she could see of his eyes showed they were hot and searing, half-lidded.

Somewhere behind them, Merle scratched agitatedly and Raban's wings fluttered. The sounds helped to ground Sakura, enough so that the light-headedness began to fade and she regained enough of her senses to slip her hands up and gently push Itachi's mouth away from her jaw.

"If you are doing this because of what I said to you before," Sakura said softly, something tightening in her gut, an unfamiliar sensation. It felt a little like longing, a lot more like anticipation. "if you think you can distract me from wanting to protect Naruto by manipulating my feelings for you, you are deeply mistaken."

Itachi finally drew back, flinching slightly. He stared at her. There was barely enough light in the room from the moon to illuminate his face. The little she could see looked hurt.

"Sakura, I would never do such a thing to you. This… this was my own foolishness." Itachi said firmly, "Forgive me."

"No," Sakura said abruptly, squinting up at him, "You ask for forgiveness too often, and I won't give it where it's not needed. Let me ask you something."

He still looked remorseful and contrite, but he still lowered his head in agreement.

Itachi and her, they were like two sides of one coin. They knew how the other worked, they understood each other perfectly. They trusted each other completely and always let the other air their grievances or speak about their secret fears.

And yet this, this feeling between them… she could not describe it. She did not understand it, or even entirely trust it. It made her feel powerful and exhilarated, and as though embracing Itachi was all she ever wanted or needed in life.

She wasn't an idiot. She'd been aware of her little crush on Itachi for years, ever since puberty had struck and she had _noticed _him in ways that had never even occurred to her before.

But whatever thoughts she'd had of him someday returning her feelings had been harmless. She hadn't _expected_ anything, had only entertained daydreams of love confessions and kisses.

She had once been a romantic at heart, sighing at the mere sight of Sasuke, treasuring every civil word he spared her. But now, after years of being mostly in the company of a sombre man, she had pushed that side of herself down, had finally put her career first (ironic considering she had to quit her job to get that epiphany).

Sakura was an eminently practical girl. She had received male attention before, she knew she was conventionally attractive and had been popular in school. She knew that close proximity often forces closeness between individuals and sudden separation can intensify feelings. She knew Itachi must have missed her, perhaps been frightened that she hated him, and that having her not only prove she still trusted and admired him but also _pledging her support_ at her own personal risk must have come as such a relief and surprise…

She could see Itachi retreating inside himself already, wiping his face of all emotion, that familiar look of martyred helplessness disappearing hastily. She knew he would only go home (wherever the hell that was, now that she'd gone and blown up their holiday cabin) and brood guiltily over the last hour until he worked himself into such a state that he would _never want to kiss her again_, lest he break her with his mouth or whatever stupid reasoning he could come up with.

"Look, before you start flagellating yourself right in front of me," She said, rubbing the bridge of her nose exasperatedly, "Just answer my question, OK? Are you attracted to me?"

Itachi stared blankly at her, no flush in his cheeks, not a flicker in his black eyes.

"I'm not gonna start sending out the wedding invitations if you say yes," Sakura said, deadpan, "But clarification is always nice."

"Sakura, this… this is a really bad idea." Itachi said, clearly floundering. Just like his brother. A genius in all areas but emotional.

"No, this is me asking you a question that you are not gonna make me ask you again."

"I don't want to make you think –"

"Don't give me the speech, I was just about to give you the speech! Yeah, starting a relationship would be fun and all but there's the small matter of heretofore unexplained mass murders and necessary secrecy. I get it. Acting on attraction is not a good enough reason to risk you being caught. And also I don't have the necessary herbs to allow for us to even act on said mutual attraction. Plus, I'll say it before you do because every sad crease in your face is saying it for you anyway – I'm still pretty young and also I don't know how old you are. Technically. But you're all serious and I'm guessing any relationship you got into at this point would be for the long-haul, which I am not emotionally ready for." Sakura finished her speech with a little bow, "Did I cover everything? Oh yeah, uh, I guess Sasuke… is a big problem too… and Naruto is your target…"

As she spoke, Itachi's eyes had grown warmer and fonder with every word until he looked practically affectionate. "Only you, Sakura," He finally said, his voice a little rough, "only you would reject someone so thoroughly and logically."

Sakura just shrugged, suddenly feeling not so wonderful.

"Just to be clear," He went on, "What herbs did you deem necessary to use in order to act upon our 'mutual attraction?'"

Sakura flushed violently, "You know what I meant. Now, seriously… until everything's sorted out and I know it's right, I can't be with you. It's not because I don't feel –"

"I understand, Sakura." Itachi said softly, "You always do the smart thing. I taught you too well."

xxxxxxxx

"So, mission today!" Kakashi said brightly, clapping Umeko on the back, "Better hurry and gather the others. I'll meet you at the Hokage's office."

His sudden friendliness would have been worrying had they not had a heart to heart a few weeks back. Kakashi had explained his loss at the hands of an Iwa nin, how his best friend had sacrificed himself to save him, and Umeko had not needed to hear any more in order to forgive his harshness. The knowledge that she wasn't the cause of his hatred was balm alone.

It had given her hope, actually, that perhaps her mission was not doomed to fail after all – with Kakashi's support and her two teammates, she could prove herself an excellent ninja and improve relations between the two villages and _finally_ earn her mother's respe –

"Ehhh?!" Naruto said loudly, "That mission – no thanks!"

Tsunade levelled Naruto with a severely unimpressed look, propping her cheek up with one hand. If Umeko didn't know exactly how poised and self-possessed the Hokage was, she'd say she looked bored. And also she seemed to be pouting slightly.

"Eh?!" Tsunade mimicked sullenly, "What kind of response is that? Well?"

Umino Iruka, Naruto and Sasuke's Academy teacher, quietly heaved an aggrieved sigh, "Naruto… you haven't mentally matured at all, have you?" He hunched over in his chair, half-hiding his face with one hand.

Anko placed her hands on her hips, threw her head back and cackled, "That's my boy!"

Kakashi had put a placating hand up towards the Hokage, but his attention seemed to be seized by Anko's chest, still heaving with laughter.

"It – It's bad! Godaime!" An unfamiliar voice broke through, a short-haired woman with dark lipstick bursting into the room, "The Kazekage's been taken by an organisation called Akatsuki! We just received the message!"

Kakashi's heavy-lidded eye narrowed. Naruto looked outright shocked, Sasuke agitated. Umeko glanced Tsunade's way, still trying to process the news.

Despite the apparent earlier pout and the boredom in her body language, the Godaime Hokage seemed the absolute picture of her title in that moment.

She sat up straight, her eyes hard and glinting, and laced her fingers together. Her expression was inscrutable.

Umeko counted the seconds until she spoke next.

Thirty-two seconds on, Tsunade closed her eyes, flicking away a piece of paper.

"Alright," She said, hazel eyes piercing through the group, "Team Anko. I will tell you your new mission."

xxxxxxxx

Three days of hard running and a run-in with the Kazekage's sister, and they finally arrived at their destination.

Suna.

Umeko really wanted to be brave about this. Strong. As immovable as rock.

But Suna… they _hated_ Iwa, even more than Konoha did…

Her hand fiddled with the tie of her hitae-ate unconsciously as they approached the entrance to the village.

A hand touched her shoulder lightly. She jumped, turning wide eyes on Kakashi.

"Wear it proudly," He advised, his eye crinkled upwards, "as a trusted ally of Konoha."

Umeko was speechless.

Anko strode forward to meet the nin waiting anxiously for them.

"Temari-san was with you? We have been waiting. Please, this way!" The chuunin said, beckoning for them to follow.

As they passed through Suna's outer defences, the chuunin began to fill them in, "… but the Kazekage was abducted. After that, Kankuro pursued them, but was wounded…"

"What?!" Temari burst out, horrified, "They got Kankuro too?"

"Yes, and he was caught by the enemy's poison. And we have no way to neutralise it… at this rate, he has half a day at the most."

Temari looked visibly struck by this news, whilst Naruto gritted his teeth and hastened his pace.

"Shit!" She cursed.

Umeko looked down at her feet. She had never lost anyone, had no words to console her…

"Not over yet," Kakashi said simply, "Let's go see him."

xxxxxxxx

Kankuro looked like a corpse.

Temari did not sob or wail, but dropped down by the bed, fingers digging into her hair.

They all looked away, not wanting to intrude.

Kakashi quietly beckoned a chuunin over, "Send a fast hawk to the Godaime Hokage. Tell her we're dealing with an unknown poison… and that there is no one but her who can neutralise it. Lives depend on her."

The chuunin rushed away. Temari's feet angrily struck out, colliding with Kankuro's bed. "_Damn it!_" She swore, her voice thick.

"Hey, Naruto…" She said, barely above a whisper.

He moved forwards, his face contorted. Hospital rooms and deathbeds were too much for even the number one hyperactive ninja to shrug off without a grimace.

Without looking up from the floor, Temari slowly held her hand out. Naruto took it without hesitation, bracing himself to pull her up, but her arm remained limp, her grip hard.

"Save Gaara." She pleaded, "Please save him at least."

Naruto hesitated, his eyes flickering. Sasuke appeared to be idly scanning the room, but Umeko knew he was trying his hardest to look unaffected.

Kakashi spoke up, "We will all do our best –"

"You got it," Naruto said, leaning down to catch Temari's eye, "if anyone can do it, it's me, right? Us jinchuuriki gotta stick together. I'll save Gaara no matter what!"

His words were firm and sincere. He honestly believed he could do it, face down unknown enemies and triumph. Umeko wondered at the courage it must take to be Uzumaki Naruto, the burden of everyone's hopes.

"I'll sniff out the scent of the Akatsuki who attacked Kankuro and find a trail for us to follow. We'll find Gaara that way." Kakashi said mildly. Umeko had to smile. Naruto's enthusiasm was truly catching.

Anko had been silent the entire time, but now she spoke up.

"New poison, huh?" She asked, expression shuttered.

The old woman, Chiyo, slowly nodded.

"Totally unknown. Ha. Right, poisons expert's probably Akasuna no Sasori," Anko pushed herself off the wall, heading towards Kankuro's bed, "He was pretty good at that, I'll grant you. But he could be thick at times. Orochimaru was his former partner and he always watched his progress carefully when it came to poisons. He made his own team replicate them and used them on me, to monitor the effects and make sure I built up immunity to most if not all of his stuff. Had a whole bunch of antidotes made to counter it all. It's been years since that snake's injected me with anything, but according to every damn test I ever take, the stuff stays in my system, never works its way out. Seems like a mixture of his best poisons and antidotes tend to stick around." She said nonchalantly, rolling up her sleeve, "Why don't you take a sample and see what you can do?"

Temari's head had shot up around about the time Anko mentioned 'immunity.' She was staring at Anko with mingled hope and suspicion.

"Orochimaru's betrayed us once before," She said warily, "He killed our father."

"I ain't Orochimaru," Anko snapped, "and he's betrayed everyone he's ever looked at, so get in the back of the queue and quit bitchin'."

"I'll examine your blood," Chiyo said, "If my grandson has truly gone beyond my abilities, then we may as well give in to despair now." Despite her melancholy words, she dropped a wink at Temari, "And you, Anko, you ought to stay behind in Suna. Tsunade might need you."

xxxxxxxx

"There is no guarantee he will live," Chiyo warned Temari, "I was able to neutralise several symptoms and likely slow his passing, but unless I receive a sample of the poison I will not be able to save him."

Temari swallowed.

Chiyo puffed up, "We'll need that damnable Slug Woman, of course."

"Already sent for her," Kakashi put in, "Should be here in about two and a half days, if she hurries."

Chiyo stared down at Kankuro's unconscious face. "May well be late by then. Doesn't matter. I can do nothing for him that she cannot, and she can do yet more. I will accompany you to save the Kazekage."

Her elderly brother's mouth tightened. He placed one liver-spotted hand over her arm, "Please, do not be hasty…"

"Don't worry, I'll take my sweet time persuading my darling grandson to give up," Chiyo growled, "If he thinks his youth makes him untouchable, I'll show him just how important experience is to a shinobi. He's a fraction of my age and skill. And if it goes the other way? Well… I've lived long enough."

"I'm coming too!" Temari demanded, letting go of Kankuro's hand and springing upright.

"No. Stay here and work on defence of the country border. From the shinobi of Suna, I am more than enough."

"But, Chiyo-baa-sama!" Temari protested ineffectively, as the old woman scrunched her face up in disgust.

"Don't treat me like an old woman!" She pointed a wavering finger at her, "I'm more than capable of doing my part," She looked down, grinning, her face half-cast in shadow. Her elderly, drawn looks made her look like a skull, "I've wanted to give my cute grandson some love for a while now."

xxxxxxxx

After Kakashi's nin dogs split up to search for Akatsuki members' scent, they all struck out in the same direction, Chiyo keeping up with their pace with obvious ease.

They pushed on through the forest until they reached the clearing, where Kakashi flung an arm out and demanded everyone stop.

The figure ahead of them made Umeko suck in a breath in horror.

Sasuke's chakra turned murderous in a flash, rolling out in menacing waves.

Uchiha Itachi blocked their way.

Though Umeko avoided looking him in the eye, she could still feel him scan the group. Looking for Sakura, perhaps? She shuddered at the thought. Imagine if the original Team Seven had been allowed to regroup and Sakura had been carelessly brought right into his clutches! Like a convenient delivery. Umeko scowled.

She could feel Naruto's fear.

"Right from the beginning," Kakashi said slowly.

"…this guy. Those eyes…" Chiyo murmured.

"Uchiha Itachi!" Naruto spat.

"Itachi," Chiyo said musingly, "Ho, this is… the child who killed his entire family?"

"I hope you have honoured your promise in my absence." Itachi said calmly, his voice chillingly courteous, "I do not see Sakura amongst you, nor do I sense her nearby. _Where is she_?"

Though his face remained blank, his voice bare of emotion, the last three words he spoke were coated in devastatingly angry chakra, similar to Sasuke's and yet a thousand times more intense.

"You bastard!" Naruto yelled out, "Me, Sakura-chan, Sasuke, even Gaara? I don't care what the hell you want with us, I'll beat you all down!"

Itachi moved a hand and Kakashi started violently, "Everyone, don't look at his eyes, it's dangerous!"

Itachi formed a seal. Umeko dropped her eyes and immediately began assessing the quality of the soil they stood on.

"Just don't look him in the eye," Kakashi said quietly, "judge his movements from his body and feet."

xxxxxxxx

Umeko grabbed Naruto's arm as Chiyo did the same on the other side and concentrated on disrupting the flow of chakra to break the genjutsu.

Kakashi flew at Itachi.

Naruto's tanned face was dripping with sweat.

Sasuke stood in front of him, two kunai in hand, snakes hissing from his sleeves. He was radiating a desperate need to protect. Umeko understood now what she had not earlier. Every time Sasuke saw his brother, someone he loved died or vanished. He must be terrified of losing everyone for the second time, and yet he still sought Itachi out, still followed his duty.

Naruto woke with a gasp, just as Itachi sent a massive fireball their way.

Umeko's first instinct was to block it with rock, but Chiyo's hand on her collar put paid to that plan. The old woman grabbed both her and Naruto and swung them away before throwing herself after them.

Kakashi had disappeared under the rock, she could feel exactly where he was. She dared not look at the space he occupied or do anything to indicate she knew his position, just in case Itachi was watching her.

Kakashi burst forth from beneath Itachi's feet, fist outstretched. Itachi dodged almost lazily and countered in the same movement, sending a punch straight at Kakashi's head. He ducked under it just in time.

Something happened that Umeko could not follow, then Naruto charged at both Itachi and Kakashi, locked together.

He and a clone threw a massive ball of energy at them and Umeko gasped, charging forward to save Kakashi, thinking wildly that Naruto must be caught in a genjutsu again, when –

Naruto struck Itachi dead on.

And he erupted into a cloud of smoke.

Umeko gasped again, then coughed.

"Is he –"

"A clone." Chiyo said grimly.

xxxxxxxx

After reaching the cave and meeting the backup team, led by Maito Gai, they spread out and ripped off the five seals, destroying the barrier.

"Umeko?" Kakashi said encouragingly, "Got a hunk of rock here that needs taking care of."

Umeko breathed in shakily, aware of the group's attention becoming focused solely on her. Gai was beaming. Naruto looked determined. Sasuke stood next to him, hands in pockets, head tipped up to take in the view of the cliff.

"I will take care of it." Umeko said without much conviction, then stepped forward. "Doton: Doryūha." She breathed out, feeling the rocks beneath her feet slide like water and then rise, taking her with it.

She stood affixed to the wave of earth, the raised end pointed at the cave, then willed it forward as fast as she could.

The rocks plunged through the cave wall, leaving a massive, gaping hole behind. Umeko stood before the hole and, seeing the cave was still pitch black, directed the wave to smash through it again.

Team Gai had yet to return, but Kakashi still gave the sign for the rest of them to enter.

A large clay bird sat with its head cocked in their direction, a blonde woman next to it, sitting on the chest of – what looked like the corpse of the Kazekage. Umeko swallowed back the bitter taste of regret and focused on the enemy. Another – was it a man? – a hulking mass of _something_ clothed in the same cloak sat near him. They both looked as though they had been waiting a while.

"Well then… which of you is the jinchuuriki, I wonder? Yeah." The blonde, apparently _male_ enemy said in a deep, measured voice.

Jinchuuriki? Umeko frowned. They sought jinchuuriki and they expected to find one among their number? Ridiculous. Perhaps it was Chiyo, she had quite the sharp bite, it seemed.

Naruto stared at Gaara.

He stared until his eyes began to well up with tears, then bellowed, "YOU BASTARDS! I'LL SMASH YOU TO PIECES!"

"That one." The larger figure said dryly.

"Well, seems like it, yeah." The blonde replied.

"Gaara!" Naruto shouted, "What're you doing there, sleeping there lazily?! Stand the hell up!"

Umeko bit her lip.

Sasuke took hold of Naruto's sleeve and twisted the fabric, hard. He didn't look at him, or do anything beyond grab him, but it seemed like… his form of comfort.

"Hey! Gaara, are you listening to me?!" Naruto hollered, his voice breaking in a way that was painful to hear.

"Stop, Naruto," Kakashi said sombrely, "You should understand."

Naruto's jaw clenched. He looked anguished, completely distraught. Umeko's stomach squeezed at the sight of him.

"Yeah, yeah, don't you get it?" The blonde said, seemingly amused, "He's well dead, yeah?"

Naruto bared his teeth, the canines elongated and sharp, the gum exposed. His eyes bulged out and his trademark whiskers grew dark and ragged. Umeko took a step back, confused and frightened.

"Give him back," Naruto said, lisping through his fangs. It sounded almost like a whimper until a rumbling noise built in his chest and rolled out of his mouth in an unearthly growl, "GIVE GAARA BACK! YOU BASTARDS!"

He shot forwards.

Kakashi darted in front of him, murmuring something calming.

The blonde looked faintly disappointed.

Umeko's eyes drifted up to the scratched hitae-ate on his forehead. Her stomach jolted uncomfortably at the sight of her own village's symbol, a line carved through it insolently. In a flash she remembered Iwa crumbling beneath the weight of several huge explosions, sulphur and smoke in the air, screams from every direction…

The blonde seemed to notice her scrutiny and offered her a slow, lingering smirk, waving sarcastically. Her eyes caught the edge of a mouth in his palm.

Rage boiled in her blood. Her breath became quick and shallow, her body jerking in response. Every muscle seemed to tighten, her fists rose unconsciously and she took one step forwards before controlling herself and moving away.

"Deidara." She said, her voice coming out calm and strong. Kakashi inched his way closer to her subtly.

The man in question positively _grinned_, gleeful, his own eye fixed on her unmarred hitae-ate.

"Hey, Sasori-no-danna?" Deidara said, not looking away from Umeko's trembling, white face, "This one's mine."

"Fine." The other one said, "As long as I get the jinchuuriki. I still haven't bagged one yet."

Deidara stood up casually, brushing himself down. Gaara lay behind him.

"How's the Tsuchikage?" He asked, strolling towards them.

"Thriving." Umeko spat, her hackles raising, "Your absence has worked wonders for the village's health."

"Really? Because the last time I looked, the Tsuchikage was an old man with a bad back and Iwa was a smouldering wreck."

"Things have changed. We rebuilt, moved on and got stronger. We're a village of strong foundations and –" She began hotly, but he waved a hand.

"Yeah, yeah, heard it all before. What's your name, kid?"

Kid? Deidara was only a few years older than she was!

"Yamaguchi Umeko." She said defiantly.

"Ah, one of the big clans, yeah? You look like an heir to me. Yeah… Won't they miss you after I've killed you?"

"You talk big," Naruto snarled, "Why don't you come here and show me what you can do?"

"Nah," Deidara smiled, pointing at Gaara, "Already got a jinchuuriki, thanks."

Naruto seethed, then shot backwards, shouting, "Come fucking get another one then!"

Before anyone could move, he disappeared through the mouth of the cave.

"Wait for Team Gai." Kakashi said tersely, then chased after Naruto, Sasuke at his heels.

Sasori paused, exchanging glances with Deidara, then followed them at a surprisingly quick pace.

"Hmm," Deidara smirked, "I prefer fighting in the open air, but where'd the fun be in that? Explosions are so much better when they're _solid_!" He looked around the rocky cave appreciatively, "You two will make great art, yeah, splattered on these walls… or maybe blown sky high…" He chuckled.

"The brat was right," Chiyo snorted, "You sure do talk big for a girly-looking boy. Plus I've never even heard of you."

"Hmm," Deidara replied simply, his clay bird swallowing Gaara whole, "We'll see, old hag. I'll show you two the splendour of my art."

Umeko closed her eyes and absorbed the information the rocks gave her. She could feel the entire cave all around her.

She felt Deidara take a step forward and –

"Doton: Ganchūrō no Jutsu!"

Rock pillars burst through the ground and rushed around Deidara, stretching the height of the cave until he was encased completely by the rock.

"Kid –" Chiyo started to say warily, then Deidara exploded.

Chiyo had thrown herself over her, but Umeko had instinctively created a dome to shield them from the debris anyway.

"Explosive clones," Chiyo remarked, "So whenever we think we've pinned him, it stands a chance we're about to get blown up ourselves."

"Have to make sure it's really him, then," Umeko whispered, "In such close quarters, it'd be difficult to escape an explosion."

"Well, unless he wants to blow himself up…" Chiyo grumbled.

"I believe he has incredible control over his explosions," Umeko said earnestly, "He may be at a certain advantage."

"Let's hope that back-up team hurry up."

* * *

Looooooooooooooooooong gap between chapters, my GOD. Urgh, terrible katlou303 :(

This chapter in particular was fun in places but also a total bitch to write. I've never seriously tried to write canon!Sasori and Deidara before, and it was a pain in the arse having to carefully follow the manga :S I used a bunch of dialogue from the manga to keep it flowing. Also, holy shit Sakura's important! God it was pretty difficult figuring out how to replace her in parts.

Anko's canonically supposed to have been experimented on with a whole bunch of poisons by Orochimaru. It's never specified that he used Sasori's on her, but since he was his partner and a poison expert, I thought it seemed likely.

Iwa and Suna DO hate each other, and they're neighbours :D

Before they divvy up victims in the manga, Sasori tells Deidara he wants to bag the next jinchuuriki, since it's supposed to be one each and he hasn't had one yet, so I didn't think it would take too much of a push to get them to switch enemies. Also Naruto ran out not just because he's a massive idiot, but also to try to divert Deidara's attention from Umeko, which obviously failed.

I've no idea how Deidara would or has reacted to meeting other Iwa nin, but since I know he took the time to bomb the place before he left it seems likely he'd be greatly hated there.

Man, I'm no good at action or strategy or anything so the next chapter may suck. Fair warning!

Sakura uses PRACTICALITY

It's super effective!

**Quick poll for fun: **What is your favourite fight scene from ANY manga/anime/TV show/book/etc?

I think it's a tough question, but I'd have to go with Sakura vs. Sasori, closely followed by Gaara vs. Lee. Both fights had underdogs being seriously underestimated and turning out to be deadly ass motherfuckers! If I had to pick a proper battle scene, I'd choose the Battle of Helm's Deep from Lord of the Rings, the Two Towers. Epiiiiic.


	8. How long is an instant?

"Tsunade left a while ago, I'm afraid," Shizune had said, an apologetic smile on her face, "Was it important?"

Sakura sighed, grumbling all the way to the hospital. Not important so much as rude, impertinent and presumptuous.

Now that Ryouta was teaching her how to heal, she hoped she could get Tsunade's approval to work at the hospital. But, no. The Hokage was, as expected, off doing important business.

Sakura still found it weird to have to think of someone else instead of the Sandaime when referring to the Hokage. She still imagined the old man's wrinkled, benign face when picturing the leader of the village, not this youthful, beautiful woman with painted nails and disdainful frowns.

Tsunade had been kind to her, no question. She had handled the potential abuse issue with as much sensitivity as she could afford, sparing Sakura's pride. She also seemed to have been very frank and honest with her about her situation, which Sakura appreciated.

Just yesterday, Sakura had signed the form needed to start her application to become a genin anew. She'd already begun studying for the next Chuunin exam.

Her face flushed hotly as she recalled Itachi planting light kisses alongside her cheek, his intense gaze… She remembered now the rare occasions in which he had shown her affection – the touch of a hand, an arm around the shoulders, once even a brief embrace, but this? This was outright intimacy.

She had defused the tension between them as flatly and expertly as though throwing a bucket of water onto a lit match. It had been incredibly difficult, being the practical, mature one when she was sixteen years old and some deep, primal part of her was frighteningly girly and sentimental – she'd wanted nothing more than to have her first kiss there and then, a proper kiss on the lips this time.

But, no. She had been strong. She needed time to grow on her own, without her sensei's gentle guidance, and certainly without his kisses. She wanted to be a strong shinobi in her own right, the day the time came for love. She wanted to be able to stand at his side as his equal, not his student.

Still, she thought wistfully, looking up at the hospital, she couldn't help missing him awfully.

xxxxxxxx

Tiny, miniature explosions rocked the dome. He was playing with them, he could level the entire cave if he wanted to, and yet he was settling for rattling their shield. He wanted them scared.

_My spine_, Umeko breathed, feeling the rock all around her as keenly as her own body, _is stone._

"He's just trying to frighten us." She said angrily as the dome shook and groaned above them.

Chiyo was barely visible in the darkness, just her gap-toothed grin and eyes clear, "What are your strengths and weakness? Quickly now."

Umeko outlined her fighting techniques, mentioning her almost complete control of rock and earth, her ability to make tunnels underground, but also brought up her drawbacks – like her poor hand-to-hand combat and defence. When Chiyo asked about her agility, she waved a hand dismissively. Her agility was the same as a stone's. Non-existent.

"He seems to be focusing on you. We can use that. Keep his attention on you. He won't look twice at an old hag like me."

They had barely a minute more to strategize, then Deidara seemed to grow bored.

Umeko felt the earth underfoot rumble and shouted a warning.

She dropped the dome with a decisive flick of her wrist, leaping away as Chiyo did the same, just in time to avoid the swelling, fattening earth from seizing them.

Light built in the centre of the shattered dome, the prelude to an explosion, and Umeko tensed in anticipation.

Something slimy crawled over her wrist. Almost instantly, a buzzing wire looped around the other.

Umeko turned around.

Deidara stood barely a few feet away, one hand held up in a seal, a smirk on his face.

A little clay bird pecked at the back of her hand, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Which should I blow first, yeah?" Deidara pretended to ponder, "You, or the hag?"

Umeko didn't need to turn her head to see the impending explosion underground swelling, gathering momentum. Chiyo stood nearby, her hand outstretched towards Umeko as if trying to pull her back.

"Why did you betray our village?" Umeko asked hotly, ignoring the slick clay brushing against her skin, the mocking caress.

"I wanted the kinjutsu they kept locked up," Deidara shrugged carelessly, "And they never appreciated my art anyway."

"You stole secret arts from Iwa and then used them to sell your services to _criminals_!" Umeko said accusingly.

"Mm, they paid well."

"Why did you attack Iwa?" Umeko asked through gritted teeth, "People _died._ Your people!"

She stopped feeling the clay bird's peck.

"_Not_ my people." He replied, looking uncharacteristically serious, "Living in the same place as them didn't mean I owed them anything, yeah. Iwa's just the village I was born in. Gave me great pleasure to blow the place sky high and if I took a few pricks out at the same time, well, even better."

Umeko's fragile control snapped and she leapt forward.

Deidara blocked her punch all too easily, fingers curving around her wrist like steel.

"Umeko!" Chiyo called, sounding worried.

"You know, I'd hoped this'd be interesting," Deidara said contemplatively, squeezing hard until the bones in her wrist shifted agonisingly, "Fighting a girl from Iwa. Seeing if they train the kids as well as they used to. Doesn't look like it, yeah. Shame. Wish I'd gone for the mouthy jinchuuriki instead. Bet Sasori-no-danna's having fun."

"My grandson is fighting Kakashi no Sharingan," Chiyo drawled, "A jinchuuriki, an Uchiha –"

Deidara's eye glittered with malice, "An Uchiha, yeah?" He murmured, "My lucky day. We'll see how he does against Sasori-no-danna. Hope he leaves some pieces for me to play with. Knowing my luck, he'd make him a puppet and I'd have to see those eyes every day."

"You don't like Uchihas?" Umeko asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't like Sharingan," He corrected, mouth twisting bitterly, "I'd like to slowly _scrape_ them out of their skulls."

"You have an Uchiha on your team." She pointed out reasonably.

Deidara's grip tightened, "You talk a lot, little heiress. You think you'll still talk when you're in pieces, flying through the fucking sky?"

"Are you going to blow me up this close to you?" She asked, raising her eyebrows in question, "How would you escape the blast?"

Deidara tilted his head, smirk reappearing.

"Don't worry about me, yeah." He said slowly, "I'll be fine."

And then he drew two fingers up and whispered, "Katsu."

Umeko grinned as the blast went off in her face. Deidara's eye widened when he realised he couldn't move.

_My. Spine. Is. Stone!_

The light of the explosion glinted off her rock armour.

Protected though she was, the force still knocked her off her feet, sliding over to where Chiyo stood. A puff of smoke obscured them and two puppets appeared on either side of the old woman.

The now useless clay dripped down her rock-covered hand.

The explosion abated, chunks of earth ripped up and dust heavy in the air. The space where she and Deidara had stood was now empty.

The sound of clapping echoed from above.

Deidara emerged from the shadows of the cavern's ceiling, sitting astride his great clay bird. His grin was a little crazed.

"Good thing that was a clone," He said cheerfully, "Though, if it had been the real me, I would have noticed the hag pass you the chakra string, not to mention you tying it to _my_ wrist. The explosion didn't hurt you, yeah? Rock armour, I guess. Boring trick, not at all flashy."

"Made you blow yourself up," Chiyo shrugged, "I appreciated the flash of that."

"With your dull old eyes, you couldn't appreciate my art if I shoved it down your throat." Deidara said coldly.

Umeko coughed lightly.

"If I take care of you both quickly, maybe Sasori-no-danna will let me join him fighting the jinchuuriki." Deidara mused, his bird's wings flapping violently.

Umeko felt the edge of a chakra string nudge her palm. She wasn't any good at fusing them, so she would have to simply make do with tying it like regular string. It had been incredibly hard, unhooking the looped string from one wrist and passing it to the other hand, then getting it around Deidara's own as he gripped her. She and Chiyo had come up with the plan whilst in the dome, she would venture out alone, wait for Deidara to come up close to her and provoke him into detonating an explosion. She hadn't anticipated him threatening to blow up two spots, let alone targeting her hand, though. It had worked, sort of, her rock armour invisible in the gloom of the cave, protecting her, Chiyo's string keeping Deidara in place.

The plan, of course, had never been to attempt to trick him into blowing himself up. They knew Deidara would have taken the chance to use a clone to take her out instead of his real self – they practically gave him an invitation to do so, hiding unseen in the dome for so long.

And now they knew where he _really_ was.

Umeko worked the string carefully, eyes on Deidara, then hid it in her palm.

The Kazekage was in that clay bird. Dead or dying, it didn't matter. They would recover him regardless.

"Puppets, yeah?" Deidara stared at the figures surrounding Chiyo, "Fucking Suna… that's three puppet masters I've met now. I suppose you think there's beauty in eternally preserving life, just like my idiot partner?"

"No," Chiyo replied bluntly, "These puppets are dead, and nothing more. They can rot and though they may outlive me, without care even they cannot last forever."

"Ha!" He snorted, "At least you aren't as crazy as Sasori-no-danna. He sneers at my art, yeah. Says something so fleeting cannot be beautiful. Fleeting it may be, yeah, but the impact it leaves can never be erased! An explosion can scar the earth itself!"

"You," He pointed at Umeko, "how well do you remember the night I blew up Iwa?"

The sky was painted red, as though the scorched earth was bleeding into the heavens. People streamed out of their houses in unison, like ants, shouting and screaming. Some screams were terrible to hear, the raw, agonised sound grating against her ears. The smell of burning flesh and hair. The rumble of buildings shifting on their foundations.

Her mother pushing her into a cupboard and blocking the door with her own body. Hearing her screams as the house fell down around them.

Umeko tightened her hitae-ate and stood forward, newly determined.

"Oho," Deidara said sneeringly, "Looks like you remember it well."

"I became a shinobi because of it. To stop people like you hurting innocents." Umeko said tightly.

It had been shinobi who had found them. Who had pulled them from the wreck gently, had put out the fires and the screams both. Who had healed her burns and breaks, and kept her mother alive and well.

"You think the jinchuuriki is innocent?" Deidara asked, "That why you're here, fighting, when you should be tucked away somewhere safe in all your finery?"

"It's a shinobi's job to follow orders. I was told to rescue the Kazekage, so that is what I will do."

"How do you rescue someone who's already dead?"

"I only have your word for that." Umeko said carefully, hoping to goad him into revealing Gaara, giving her a chance to get him away.

The older man laughed, "By all means, fight me to the death for the chance to pry the Kazekage's cold corpse from me to check."

"Fine by me," Umeko said fiercely, "Doton: Gansetsukon!"

A chunk of rock appeared in her palm. Quick as a flash, she tied the end of the string to it and transformed it into a spear.

Before Deidara could react, she hurled the spear his way.

The bird flew out of the way, his mocking grin flashing.

Chiyo's fingertips danced.

The spear followed the bird, sharply gathering momentum.

Umeko heard him curse. She smiled.

The jagged end of the spear caught the bird's side, ripping it open, the insides dropping out –

Umeko darted out, hands and chakra automatically working to soften the ground the Kazekage was falling towards. She slid on her knees, catching the man in her lap.

She placed him on the ground gently and stood, turning to face Deidara's slowing descent.

Jagged spears of rock shot at him, smashing into the cave wall as he dodged the lot.

Chiyo added a barrage of needles just as Umeko transformed her rock armour around her arms, encasing the skin with thick, visible rock, the fists now massive and heavy.

Deidara flew overhead, clay dripping down, and threw his hands up.

Clay bats soared over them, then dived at breakneck speed.

Chiyo leaped away in a series of flips. Umeko raised her rocky arms and protected her face from the little blasts.

The clay dripping on her arms suddenly became searing hot, she could feel the warmth through the rocks, and before she could move a blast knocked her back into the wall.

She cried out in pain.

The earth underneath her rumbled.

Snakes and centipedes crawled through, each one made of explosive clay. She gave a shout of alarm, leaping to her feet, but they all blew –

Two puppets embraced her, spinning her around and taking the brunt of the blow.

"Thank you, Chiyo-sama!" She called. The old woman gave a grim nod.

Deidara scooped up some of the clay-flesh from the bird as it sluggishly circled towards the ground. He shoved it into his mouth and started chewing.

Umeko knew what that meant.

Chiyo was at her side in seconds. She passed Gaara over to her, then created a tunnel wide enough to fit two people. It took considerable concentration to funnel the earth from underneath the cave and safely outside it.

"I will seal the tunnel securely from this side after you go," Umeko said calmly, "I will stay here to ensure his explosion does not go further than this cave."

Chiyo locked eyes with her for a moment. Umeko nodded firmly, forcing a smile. It didn't matter that her knees were shaking. Her spine was stone. She would do this, and if the worst happened, her mother would be told she was a hero. Her death on a mission from Konoha would secure their sympathy towards Iwa, and the fact that she would die saving the Kazekage, or even just retrieving his corpse, would earn Suna's admiration. And maybe, just maybe, if she managed to take down Deidara whilst doing it, she could rid Iwa of a dangerous and shameful criminal. And maybe that would be enough to earn their love.

Chiyo nodded back, and the look in her eyes was enough to carry her through this fear. The old woman looked at her with genuine respect.

Then she and Gaara vanished through the tunnel, Deidara's eye fixed on them, and Umeko sealed the hole with diamond-hard rock.

Deidara grew up in Iwa. He must know about their tactics. How they would lure enemies into caves, then destroy the cave to kill them all.

Umeko met his eye briefly, a flash of hard blue, and whispered, "Doton: Iwayado Kuzushi." She completed the seals, tiger – rat – snake, then closed her eyes.

Three weak spots in the cave walls, a few more in the ceiling.

She tugged them away gently with her mind, just as Deidara began to swell up.

A great crack resounded throughout the area, the groan and scream of rocks scraping against each other, and then the ceiling broke away as the walls crumbled and Deidara –

Deidara gave her a wink and one last smirk before he exploded.

xxxxxxxx

"Now, say this is a wound," Ryouta said cheerfully, pointing at a rip in a blanket, "Show me how you would heal it."

"Trick question, such a minor wound doesn't need healing." Sakura said promptly.

"Er, no, I just… well I wanted you to… go through the motions…"

Sakura laughed and pushed her sleeves up, placing one hand over the rip. Ryouta corrected her pose, pointing her fingertips over the wound's edge, her palm away from it.

"Focus your chakra and pump it to your hands."

She did as he asked. Blue energy flickered around her fingers, then spluttered out. She cursed loudly.

"No one gets it right away! Now, can you tell me why it's important to work on your chakra control as a medic?"

"Because healing is a very delicate art. Too much chakra is wasteful and dangerous, too little is inefficient and ineffective. A medic needs to hone their control until they can heal scratches with a flicker of chakra and life-threatening wounds without handseals."

"Very good! Now tell me why every team needs a medic."

"Because, without a medic, every injury the team suffers can be a significant threat to their lives and their mission."

"Correct. Most shinobi who are killed in action did not have a medic on their team."

"Why aren't there more medics, then?"

"Because it is very difficult to master medicine. And also, because medics tend to be the first to be targeted on the field. They are the most valuable members, after all."

Sakura focused her chakra. Her hand glowed.

"That's it! You'll be saving lives soon enough."

The rip in the blanket wavered, and for a moment she imagined it dripping blood. Startled, her hand drew back sharply.

An omen?

xxxxxxxx

Umeko could hear birds singing.

She could smell grass, feel air on her skin.

She opened her eyes.

The cave was gone. She lay buried beneath the rubble of its remains, the sky stretched out over her.

Deidara was crouched over her. She realised she could feel his fingertips digging into her neck, searching for a pulse.

"Didn't have enough chakra to protect yourself from the cave-in, yeah?" He said musingly, "Smothered the explosion, though. Covered the old hag's escape. Doesn't matter. I'll find her soon enough, then I'll smear her against the ground next to you. Would you like that?" He laughed callously, "I'll leave you in your grave then, yeah."

She was still wearing her rock armour. It had cushioned her from the worst of the explosion and the cave-in, but she could still feel the tender, piercing ache of internal injuries. She couldn't move.

Deidara stood up straight, walking away. She saw his back fading as her vision blurred. Her spine was cracked, broken into rubble. Her fingers shook.

The birds sang out louder.

She could still… do more.

Her fingers twitched, and the rocks shifted slightly.

She pushed herself up, the world quivering and darkening all around her.

Deidara was still close. She could still stop him.

She bent over, dizzy, swaying, and pressed a palm to the earth to ground herself. She stared at the dull brown soil between her fingers, her head aching bitterly, and felt the last of her chakra leave her system.

A seal spread on the ground.

It tore the earth apart.

The world shifted and she barely kept her footing, unsure if it was the jutsu or the probable concussion that caused everything to sway and shake sickeningly.

She blinked, and then Deidara was in front of her again, saying something. He looked angry.

The birds sang yet louder, a piercing cacophony, and then Kakashi was charging towards them, his hand a blur of whirring lightning.

Deidara leapt back, his face alarmed.

Another figure stepped forward, an unfamiliar redhead with protrusions bulging from his body and an arm missing. He held a hand out.

Umeko opened her mouth to warn Kakashi, then the redhead jerked his hand back and her body moved with it, like a puppet.

Her toes dragged against the ground as the chakra strings wound around her yanked her forth.

She stopped in front of Kakashi abruptly. Something ripped through her insides, sliced through her flesh like white-hot metal. Deidara laughed, breathless and wild, at her back.

The birds stopped singing.

All she could see was Kakashi's horrified eyes, both of them visible.

"Kakashi… sensei?" She murmured, wondering why he'd hurt her. Then the pain burnt through her confusion and her breath stuttered out.

Her stomach jerked and her knees gave way. Kakashi tore his hand back with a slick, wet noise.

She coughed once, then twice, wetly. One of her lungs felt strangely full. She hacked and spat blood. She was on the ground now, though she could not remember falling.

Something roared nearby and snakes hissed.

"Anko-sensei?" She said painfully, turning to look. Wasn't Anko back at the hospital –

A ripping, burning sensation in her stomach halted her movement and she let out a wounded groan.

Kakashi's hands were against her stomach, pushing back firmly. Something around her middle gave way and a warm liquid trickled down her thighs.

_Lightning beats earth_, she thought. She could have laughed until she cried. She thought maybe she really was laughing, there was a desperate, keening noise emerging from her throat.

"I came to save you." Kakashi said, his voice strangely bleak, hopeless and empty. "I _wanted_ to save you."

"I wanted to help." Umeko said regretfully, tasting copper on her lips. Blood. It dripped down her jaw. She was struggling to breathe, now. It caught in her throat and stuck. She pushed the breath out with a painful shudder.

"You _did._" His voice cracked.

_Good_, she thought contentedly. Her mother would be so proud. She couldn't wait to see her again.

"They have gone," A calm, masculine voice said, "Both of them."

She could just about see a beautiful boy about her age, pale eyes and long dark hair. Hyuuga Neji. He looked down at her.

"Is she going to be alright?" A girl asked.

Kakashi's hands trembled where they touched her stomach.

The ground was hot and wet beneath her and she could hear cicadas. She wondered if Shino had any cicadas, or if he'd like to see one.

"Why," Umeko asked, her voice thick. She spat blood and tried again, "why did you…?"

Kakashi lowered his head, his eyes glinting in the light, "Don't talk, it'll be worse if you –"

"…want to save me?" Umeko managed to say, her chest heaving agonisingly, every breath tugging at her stomach.

"_Why_?" He repeated, sounding surprised, then indignant, "Why wouldn't I?"

Footsteps rang out. Umeko could feel them in the earth, in the shudder of her bones.

"_Umeko!_" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke sucked in a breath sharply, then bent down at her side.

"Shit," She heard him say, very quietly, "Kakashi, you -?"

"It's my fault." Kakashi replied flatly.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly, as Naruto peered down at her, "I tried."

The world shifted again, the earth beneath her fingertips crumbling away.

_Please… tell my mother…_

"Umeko!"

_I did my best._

* * *

All of Umeko's jutsu came from the original series, either the anime or the manga. I didn't make any of them up :)

Yeah, so, not good at strategy or fight scenes so this was the best I could do. Sorry!

It's true what Umeko thought to herself. Lightning does beat earth.

If that scene wasn't written clearly enough, here: Kakashi tries to hit Deidara with his Raikiri lightning attack, but Sasori forcibly uses Umeko as a shield, dragging her into the way with his chakra strings. Kakashi then accidentally attacked Umeko, doing nasty things to her insides.

Wish I had more to say but… I don't. Oh right!

Eat well, exercise a lot and never, ever take drugs, kids.

Drugs are for people who can't have fun just playing Monopoly or watching Friends reruns.

You aren't one of those people, are you kids?

OC abuse! It's what I do best.

The first time Umeko ever called Kakashi 'sensei.'

Oh, I actually do have something to say here!

I just wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story, I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in this spin-off, but you proved me wrong, so thank you :)

**Quick poll for fun:** The scene that makes you happiest in any book/film/TV show/ video game/ etc.

I immediately thought of Kimi ni Todoke, but pretty much every scene that's not a tearjerker makes me deliriously happy, lol, so I'll pick something else :D

One of my favourite books, To Say Nothing of the Dog, a quirky tale of time travel in the Victorian era has a line, "And kissed her for a hundred and sixty-nine years," when one half of my favourite couple kisses the woman he loves as they go through time. That line just made me very happy for some reason! XD

I think people who are depressed or even just a little negative have a tendency to think about the sad things in life too much. I wish I could show them a montage of their favourite moments in film or TV whilst hugging them to death as skittles rain from the sky and candyfloss clouds drift by.

Ahem! So basically, when you are upset or depressed, don't immediately go for your favourite sad soundtrack! It is a SCIENTIFIC FACT that if you listen to something bouncy and cheery, you are FORCED to feel VERY HAPPY INDEED. It is true I am scientist.

Now go watch Kimi ni Todoke and dance in your underpants.


End file.
